Imagine you’re sitting in a beautifully padded armchair, with a pillow behind your head, wriggling your naked toes in a carpet of the deepest, woolliest pile in the world. There’s a roaring fire, you’ve got an Irish coffee in one hand and a packet of chocolate Hobnobs in the other, and there’s your favourite mood music in the background.

That’s how comfortable our win was tonight.

It didn’t start that way, as a mix-up meant that our bus didn’t leave Bishop until gone five past seven. Thankfully, the driver proved to be something of a magician when it came to getting a less than new 52 seater to North Bridge Street by 19:43 - top man. – and from there it was a sprint to the ground, the south west corner of the pitch coming into view with less than a minute gone. By the time I got to the North Stand, we were breaking down the right, so I leant against the barrier as Jones swept the ball in from wide and Henderson put his foot through the ball with such efficiency that the curling shot which resulted had far too much power for the keeper and the ball rippled the side netting with only four minutes gone. Great stuff, and time to check the team... changes as expected, with no McCartney or Ferdinand...

Gordon
Da Silva Mensah Turner Richardson
Steed Henderson Cana Reid
Campbell Jones

It didn’t look like Brum’s first team, with SKP up front, and we pushed them back from the off with Cana hitting Jones with a fierce shot. Several good breaks down the right threatened to extend our lead but the goal didn’t come, and Campbell showed real effort to chase back and win a tackle. On the quarter hour it was almost two when Campbell and Jones had shots blocked, and the latter stayed down after colliding with the keeper. Eight minutes later, Reid went on another run down the left after linking with Rico, cut inside and fired in a right foot cross that Campbell finished with style. Great cross, great header. We stayed on top with some sustained periods of passing, getting into double figures on more than one occasion and Brum looked like a League Two side – and that’s no disrespect to Darlo. In came news of Peterborough’s second goal against the Mags, and Reid floated a cross onto the top of the bar. Steed showed some great skill, then Cana produced a great turn and pass out to Campbell on the left, but his burst into the box was halted with an unlucky bounce up onto his hand as he was challenged. As two added minutes were announced, we won a corner which was volleyed over the top by a defender for another, then the half was over and Brum looked relieved to be able to have a sit down and a cuppa.

No changes after the break, and the first five minutes were pretty flat in comparison to our first half standards – hell, we even let them win a corner, but they had nothing to beat our new-look, no-nonsense defence. Mensah and Da Silva were as cool as you like, happy to received the ball under pressure and control it in a flash before finding a team-mate. Impressive full debuts for both. The Reid found Campbell, his cross was cleared and the follow-up blocked before Cana’s effort from 25 yards was saved under the bar as we got back on top of the game. Jones almost got Steed through, and the resultant corner caused havoc as Jones challenged the keeper and Mensah forced the ball into the net. No goal, presumably for the Jones challenge. When Brum won a corner, our defenders threw themselves in front of the ball in impressive fashion to clear the danger and Steed was away down the right to almost get Campbell in. Reid put in another cross which almost produced an own goal, but did bring another corner. The visitors brought on Lee Bowyer (boo) as Mensah took a tumble and required attention. Henderson spotted Campbell’s run and set him away, but he’d barely crossed the halfway line when he was chopped down, bringing a yellow card for Espinoza. Gordon produced a good take of a free-kick, then it was Samba football again, but with no goal to show for it. A ten-pass move ended with Reid’s cross being punched away, then Cana lobbed one through for Campbell but just a foot to far in front of him. Henderson curled one over, then Steed was subbed by Healy, with Campbell moving to the right. One day, Steed might just play 90 minutes – you never know.

With 12 to go, Murphy replaced Jones and proceeded to make a mocker of the poor reception he received by winning headers, outmuscling opponents, putting in crosses, and generally having an impressive few minutes - the sort of thing that if referred to as a cameo when it’s done by higher profile players. Da Silva fired well over, Murphy found Reid who scooped it just wide, and Noz replaced Cana. The defence re-shuffled, with Noz at right back, Da Silva at left, and Rico moving upfield. As three added minutes were announced in a flurry of corner, Murphy went on a great run and his cross just failed to find its target, and we ended as we’re begun – well on top.

Make no mistake, the Blues were awful, but we did what we had to in impressive style and in a very pleasing performance.

When you have a proper shape, you can be halfway to making a pass before you look up, and Cana found the wings in such fashion several times. Our new defenders took no prisoners (although Birmingham mostly surrendered anyway) and look calm, flexible, and happy with the ball. Henderson looked the part again, playing as if he had a welt of Sunderland appearances under his belt rather than just a handful. Man of the Match, again, for me was Reid, setting up the second and proving a constant threat to the opposition thanks to a growing, if unlikely, partnership with Richardson.

One negative? No chance of knocking out the Mags in the next round, but only four more wins to glory.

Keep the faith

Sobs' Book click here...