KEEPING RIGHT ON!
Saturday 1.2.25 Birmingham City 2 v Rotherham United 1 - EFL League 1
Steve Evans, or Steve fuckin’ Evans as my Mansfield mates quite justifiably call the wretched, dodgy-dealing, low-life, reckons that Blues shouldn't have had a penalty today and insinuated that the referee was too inexperienced to take control of a game in front of a partisan crowd, at a place like St. Andrew's. He also claimed that Birmingham would be feeling fortunate to have taken all three points from the game.
What a deluded world view this horrible little man has. It is said,, that you can tell when Steve Evans is telling porkie pies, because it tends to be every time that his lips are moving. For the record the penalty in question was awarded when Hakeem Odoffin, upended Taylor Gardner-Hickman, in the area, with a clumsy and badly timed tackle. AKA, a foul.
Chris Davies’ side had pummeled Rotherham throughout the first half, to no avail. But it seemed only a matter of time until they would draw first blood. However, completely against the run of play, law of averages, the Highway Code and probably even to Steve Evans’ complete dismay, the Millers nicked a lead right on the stroke of half-time, when Sam Nombe headed home from a Dan Gore cross. “How the effing hell are we going in behind after a first-half like that?” asked the cheery soul I usually sit next to at Blues home games.
Well, it’s like this my friend, you can be light years ahead stats wise, but there is only one set of numbers that actually count for anything… and they’re up there on the scoreboard. Effectively Blues had adopted the mantle of a prizefighter, streets ahead on points, in total control, yet put on the seat of their pants by a sucker punch for lowering their guard and having a momentary breather before the bell had actually sounded. Or something along those lines.
In the 12th minute of the game, a minutes applause was observed in memory of young Leo Ross (12), who had been stabbed to death in Birmingham the previous week. Both sets of fans (and players) observed the heartfelt display of affection, in sympathy for Leo’s tragic loss, in fact a party of Rotherham supporters had attended the laying of a wreath prior to the game, outside the Kop and added their own tributes. It was a moment to seriously pause and reflect upon what a crazy world we live in and put everything else into perspective. Rest in eternal peace, Leo.
As the teams re-emerged from the tunnel for the second-half, I don't think that there will have been anybody present, who wasn't expecting Blues to turn the game around and claim the three points. And although the visitors tried to keep out their hosts, the game panned out pretty much as expected. Note* their is actually a big difference between arrogance, complacency and just knowing that you have got the cojones to win the day, regardless of the size of the task ahead of you.
If he was to tell the truth (which he won't, because it’s an alien concept to him), Evans and his almost as loathsome sidekick Paul Raynor, would have admitted that was the case too. While he desperately looked for any resembling even a modicum of a bullshit excuse to fit his far-fetched narrative.
Nine minutes after the restart, Blues were level, when Lyndon Dykes, flicked an header into the path of Jay Stansfield, who added the decisive touch. The aforementioned penalty finally claimed the win inside the final ten minutes. Dillon Phillips ranted a raved at Alfie May, who merely stood over the penalty spot holding the ball and laughing at the visitors keeper.
Obviously Phillips had assumed May was about to take the spot-kick, but to his amazement ‘our Alfie’ merely handed the ball to Stansfield, who placed it and took responsibility, knocking it past the frustrated Millers keeper as calmly as you like. FT: Birmingham City 2 v Rotherham United 1. That's seventeen games in a row without defeat for Blues now. Attendance: 24,393 inc. 518 away fans. Not a bad turn-out for a third tier game, but it was actually Birmingham’s lowest league crowd of the season so far.
