Many (blue) moons ago, I discovered a lad called Wee Eck. The Sunday Post was a Scottish newspaper that, for some reason, was (still is) popular in the North East. As well as bringing the world a Dear Doctor page in which readers sought advice on such minor medical matters at severed limbs and misplaced eyeballs, it brought us the Broons and Oor Wullie.

Wullie was a wee lad (as you’d expect) who had a gang of mates, and was constantly falling wrong of PC Murdoch. Wullie was a laugh. He sat on an upturned bucket when not stealing apples or breaking windies wi’a fitba’, so I emulated him by stealing apples, breaking windows with a footy and sitting on a cracket. Soapy Soutar was the sort of toughish pal of Wullie, and while any “where are they now” will claim that that Wullie’s eyes went and he turned into Frankie Boyle, Soapy probably got into politics and turned into Gordon Brown. He had the right sort of chin for it. Fat Bob, the, er, fat one who always got caught first on account of his lack of athletic ability and propensity for getting stuck in fences whilst attempting escape from PC Murdoch, probably became Fat Bastard and made enemies with Austin Powers.

Which leaves us with Wee Eck. He got tired of being called Wee Eck, toughened up a bit (though he got his nose broken a few times), changed his name to Big Eck, enjoyed a successful 16-year footballing career with Aberdeen, and played 77 times for Scotland before breaking into management. Mothewell, Hibs, Rangers, and Scotland preceded his arrival at Birmingham, and the rest is history. He’s presided over their best league season ever (to date), in which the Blues ended a crap run by beating us, then setting off on a silly unbeaten run. Although they’ve stumbled a bit of late, that consistent run makes them an awkward proposition.

That’s what we thought at last night’s Sportsman’s dinner at the Roker Hotel anyway, and we know what we’re on about when we’ve had a few. We also reckoned that Brucie’s nose is bendier than Eck’s, and that we were coming into the sort of form that illuminated our autumn. With Jones’s injury turning out to be nowhere near as bad as first thought, any despondency I was feeling about it lifted. As did a good chunk of the disappointment of City’s late leveller, mainly because we’d played well in two consecutive games and City possibly deserved something out of a proper game of football.

..and Big Eck’s built a team noted for their resilience. As expected, the only change from last week was Benjani in for Jones.
Gordon
Hutton Mensah Turner Ferdy
Campbell Meyler Richo Steeeed
Benji Bent

Another small away following made the South End look a bit sparse as we kicked their way Benjani won a couple of headers, but it was Ferdy who was called into defensive action first. Steed had a low cross cleared, and when it went back in, Meyler played in Richo, who found Benji, the blocked shot fell as kindly as you like for Bent, and you know what happens when he gets the ball a few yards out. A great start, and when Brum came forward Mensah was way too strong for Chuchi or whatever his name is. Meyler won a great tackle in our half to set Richardson away, and he picked out Bent with a perfect pass. Mr Dynamite coolly stepped inside the right back and banged in the second with his left peg. Oh, things were looking good, as Brum couldn’t afford to be patient and wait for just the one goal.. Campbell worked his way into the box and had a shot saved, then Hutton nutmegged his oppo and burst in to the box to get off a left foot shot that was well saved. Steed carried Hutton’s crossfield pass into the Box and Campbell forced another good save from Hart, and we definitely looked like we could go to town. Having said that, Brum did get forward, with Mensah and Steed producing important tackles and clearances. Gordon was twice in quick succession required to palm shots away for corners. We went down the other end, and Bent’s challenge 30 yards out won us a corner off the flag, then Gordon tipped a header onto the bar and over.

Hutton, whose partnership with Campbell grows by the game, put in a cross which somehow evaded everybody as it flew through the box as we pressed down both flanks. Richo’s jinking run and curling shot brought the best out of Hart, then Steeed’s daisycutter flashed inches wide of Hart’s right-hand post. Brum earned the only yellow of the day from a lenient ref when Steed was fouled 30 yards out, but Bent’s effort didn’t get past the wall. As two added minutes were announced, Jerome somehow shot over from five yards – probably a vital miss, as Brum were getting back into the game and a goal at that time could have made a real difference to their second-half attitude.

Their second half attitude turned out to be a real botheration to us, making that miss even more vital. They got in our faces and stifled our central midfield, while hitting the spaces down both flanks for their men to run onto. Simple and almost effective. Bent lost the ball and they built a swift attack and Mensah looked in trouble as he twisted his knee while shielding the ball back to Gordon. We feared the worst, but he recovered sufficiently to continue his stifling of Chuci. The ball spent a lot of time in the air as we struggled to get hold of the game again, and like last Sunday, were on the back for large periods of the second half. On 58 Gordon was in action again, then they brought on McFadden and You Know Who. Shit, he doesn’t miss chances like the one Jerome did just before the break, and it was 2-1 before you could blink, as Jerome outpaced Turner in from the left and fired in across Gordon. Bugger, I could see them winning if another had gone in. Benjani, after a decent start, had struggled to make an impact, and he went off with Mensah as Bardsley and Henderson came on. With Jordan’s powerful running in the centre, we lifted our game a bit but still needed Ferdy to put in a last-ditch tackle in the box on Carr. Phillips knocked one onto the roof of the net, and we brought on Catts, and that won us the game. His extra bite allowed Meyler to come back to life in style, Benty drifted left and Campbell moved in from the right. Full of running, Frazzle had a shot blocked by Hart, then Bent looped one over the keeper only for it to be comfortably cleared. Getting better, Hendo showed great persistence down the right to get in a terrific cross at the second attempt - perfect for Campbell to hurl himself onto for 3-1. Game over, we thought, but we still had some defending to go as Brum continued to have a real go. 3-2 would have been a really nervy position, but thankfully it never came to that. Gordon was on hand to stop a thumping header in added time, we pressed again, and when the whistle went it was smiles all round.

Well deserved applause all round at the finish, for a job done, if under a lot of pressure at times, but the result was more important than the performance. The third goal showed what we’re capable of, having endured loads of Blue pressure, and other results went our way as we still look down the table rather than up. There was a final farewell (surely?) to SKP as he acknowledged the crowd, and we felt happy.

Man of the Match? Menash did his job well, Steed was the Steed of old once more, and Campbell covered many a mile in his partnership with Hutton, while Hendo and Catts really made a difference from the bench. Once again, though, a string of fine saves from Scotland’s number one number one kept the Blues at bay.

Keep the faith

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