Birmingham's 2-1 win at Villa Park on Sunday bought back fond memories for former City star Geoff Horsfield. The 31-year-old scored a brace of goals two seasons ago as Blues completed the double over their bitter rivals. It was a great time for Horsfield and he is still held in great esteem by the St. Andrew's faithful. However, he will be looking to turn the tables this weekend when he goes back to Blues for the first time since his transfer last season, as West Brom arrive for another local derby. It is a must-win game for the Baggies and Horsfield knows how important it is. However, Ian Clarkson caught up with him and asked him to delve into the memory bank for a blast from the past - season 2002-03 to be precise.
Q:WERE THOSE GOALS AGAINST VILLA THE MOST IMPORTANT OF YOUR BIRMINGHAM CITY CAREER?
A:The 3-0 win against Villa at St. Andrew's was up there with scoring in the play-off final against Norwich to help Blues win promotion to the Premiership as the best game in my whole career.
Q:WHAT WAS THE BUILD UP AND THE GAME LIKE?
A:The hype leading up to the game was incredible - I have never experienced anything like that ever before. It meant so much to the fans and there were lots of tackles flying in. We were definitely hungrier than they were on the night. Our crowd was incredibly hostile and it is obvious that the fans just don't like each other.
Q:IT WAS THE FIRST TOP FLIGHT MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO CLUBS FOR 16 YEARS - WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE?
A:The advantage we had of playing at home really helped us and scoring in front of the Tilton Road End was a great feeling. I came off the bench at 1-0 and we won 3-0 so I feel as though I definitely played my part. I nut-megged Alpay in the build up to third goal and that topped off a fantastic evening.
Q:IT WAS PRETTY GOOD IN THE RETURN FIXTURE TOO WASN'T IT?
A:We knew it would be a different game at Villa Park and you could sense the hostility. Mind you, when I was warming up on the touchline I was having quite a bit of banter with their supporters. There were also one or two Villa fans who wanted to rip my throat out, which was understandable as I had scored against them before!
Q:YOU MADE AN IMPACT COMING OFF THE BENCH AGAIN DIDN'T YOU?
A:Steve Bruce sent me on at 0-0 and I'd like to think that I played my part once again. I dived at a Jeff Kenna cross and missed it, but the ball fell to Stan Lazaridis to score his first headed goal for about eight years. I then chased down a lost cause, which was probably 70/30 in favour of Peter Enckleman. However, I got there first and it was a great feeling standing in front of the Holte End with the ball at my feet and an empty net in front of me.
Q:ARE YOU HOPING FOR A GOOD RECEPTION WHEN YOU GO BACK THIS WEEKEND?
A:I would hope so. It is a vitally important game for both clubs - a real six-pointer - and we know that we need to start picking up wins very soon.
