PREMIERSHIP REVIEW
Birmingham won the 97th league derby between these two clubs but the catalyst for victory was the most bizarre goal that none of the previous 96 can have witnessed. It came in the 77th minute, with Villa pressing for a deserved equaliser, from an innocuous throw in.
Olaf Mellberg threw the ball towards his own goalkeeper, standing alone on the side of his six-yard box. Peter Enckelman attempted to control the ball, with is left foot, but he misjudged the ball and it rolled embarrassingly under his foot and over the goal line. The crucial factor, whether he touched the ball or not, was confirmed later by referee David Ellery, but there was little evidence of that as there was no deviation in flight.
It will be of scant consolation to the Villa keeper that 2-0 became 3-0 shortly afterwards when Geoff Horsfield robbed Alpay to fire home. There is little doubt that the 'own-goal was the defining moment in a game that was evenly divided, with Birmingham bossing the first half and the visitors coming into their own after the break.
Blues went at their rivals from the kick-off with expected resolve but the first opening fell to Villa, Mark Kinsella heading wide from a Samuel cross, just past the quarter-hour. Birmingham responded with a free-kick, on the right, but the usually dependent Grainger fired into the wall.
Birmingham were working much harder than Villa and enjoyed the bulk of possession, as well as territory, and their strikers, Stern John and Clinton Morrison, always looked more likely to score than their anonymous Villa counterparts. There was plenty of perspiration, in the first half hour, but precious little inspiration then up popped Clinton Morrison.
A right wing cross from Cunningham was missed by Staunton and reached Savage in the penalty area. The Welshmans first touch let him down and the ball ran into the path of Morrison who drove the ball down into the ground and past Enckelman. It was the Irish internationals fourth goal in five games and it was no more than Birmingham deserved.
But Villa almost equalised eight minutes later when De La Cruz fired in a superb long-range shot but Graingers deflection took the ball onto the bar and over when it was heading for the back of the net.
Graham Taylor threw on both Darius Vassell and Dion Dublin, in place of the ineffective Angel and Allback, for the second half and the improvement for Villa was almost miraculous. Vassell just failed to make contact with a Samuel cross and moments later only Kennas timely intervention prevented Samuel from testing Nico Vaesen.
The introduction of the two subs had wrested domination from Birmingham and only the linesmans late 'delayed flag prevented Vassells 57th minute strike from registering a deserved equaliser, after Graingers mistake had allowed the England international his shot.
On the hour, Alpay cynically chopped Johnson and although the Turkish international, booked earlier, escaped a red card Grainger almost punished Villa with a typical free-kick that scraped the bar. Gareth Barry then went close with a free-kick before Villa suffered perhaps the most embarrassing 'own-goal in their history.
The visitors looked odds-on to equalise, such was their domination of the game, but when Mellberg threw the ball towards Enckelman the keepers error, that will live with him forever, gifted Blues their second goal and virtually ensured victory.
Whilst the assembled throng were still deliberating on the validity of the second goal Birmingham substitute Horsfield wrapped up the win. He raced after Savages through ball and although Alpay got there first, the Turks first touch was awful and the ball ran into the path of Horsfield.
The sub progressed into the box and beat Enckelman with a crisp near post shot to fire Birmingham up to ninth in the Premier League.
