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Blues 0 - Preston 2

Last updated : 09 November 2002 By Richard Barker
It was not so much the result that will have upset the 12,000 or so Blues fans, but the completely and utterly abysmal performance that the under-strength home side served up. Matters were hardly helped by Geoff Horsfield's sending off just 28 minutes into the game.

Steve Bruce took the opportunity to rest the likes of Nico Vaesen, Stern John, Robbie Savage, Paul Devlin, Aliou Cisse and Darren Purse, and started with a mixture of youth and experience. Ian Bennett came into the side in goal. The back four consisted of youth in Mat Sadler and Joey Hutchinson, with Kenny Cunningham and Olivier Tebily offering the experience. In midfield Stan Lazaridis kept his place on the left, with Darryl Powell and Darren Carter in the middle, whilst Horsfield replaced John up front alongside Clinton Morrison.

Blues started the game well, with their second string easily outplaying the Lancashire side with good movement from the midfield and attack. The only thing lacking was a cutting edge, and as such, no real chances of note arose, bar a Morrison strike straight at David Lucas in the visitors goal.

The entire match was turned on it's head, however, after 28 minutes. Mat Sadler was preparing to take a throw-in on the Blues left, looking to aim for Horsfield who was positioned down the line, in front of the Preston bench, being marked by Graham Alexander. All of a sudden Alexander collapsed in a heap, and every single person on the Preston bench had leapt up in disgust. Whilst I didn't see the incident clearly, such reactions indicated that as referee Graham Poll suspected, Horsfield had elbowed Alexander. The lack of objections from the Blues players also indicated as much. This stupidity from Blues' captain for the night cost them the game.

From this point on, the momentum of the game switched. The play was more or less even until half time, but at the interval, Bruce opted to go for the game, by replacing Sadler (possibly being rested for Saturday's trip to Stamford Bridge) with young forward Craig Fagan, and playing just three defenders.

Preston were able to break down the Blues defence with ease from this point on, and as the likes of Hughes and Morrison obviously felt that they only had to walk on the same pitch as the First Division side to be able to beat them (despite only being glorified First Division players themselves), the likes of Ricardo Fuller, Eddie Lewis and David Healy opted for 100% commitment, and got their rewards.

After 59 minutes, Blues failed to clear the danger, and former Hearts front-man Fuller was able to capitalise and continue his fine scoring form this season by finishing coolly past Bennett. Blues simply didn't even look like getting back into the game, and their misery was compounded when following another swift PNE move, American Lewis struck a sweet left foot drive past Bennett to kill the game off.

Whilst going out of the competition may eventually come as a blessing in disguise, and losing to Preston wasn't something that would have bothered too many fans before the game upon viewing the team sheets, it was the inept performance that will have had most people worried. One would have hoped that some of the fringe players would have busted a gut at such a chance to prove themselves, but they simply strolled around for 90 minutes, with only Powell, Cunningham and the youngsters offering anything like full blooded performances. People might not have minded a virtual reserve side being beaten by Preston if even close to 100% effort had been shown, but with the likes of Morrison and Hughes looking like arrogant Prima Donnas simply not interested, Preston took away a well deserved victory that will have left many Blues fans sick.

PLAYER RATINGS:
Bennett - Distinctly average
Tebily - Better in attack than defence
Sadler - Played well until substituted
Cunningham - Comfortable
Hutchinson - Started well, but faded when left exposed in a back three
Hughes - Barely merits a mention for a disgusting performance
Lazaridis - His usual self; in and out of the game
Powell - Not his best performance, but at least he wanted it
Carter - Struggled
Morrison - Needs to start proving his worth
Horsfield - Stupid

SUBS -
Fagan - Lively, but to no great effect
Kirovski - Never got involved

Kickoff 5th November 2002 19:45 at St Andrews
Referee: Poll, G.Attendance: 12,241
Final Result
Birmingham 0
Preston 2
R.Fuller (59)
E.Lewis (80)
Yellow Cards
D.Powell, 82, unsporting behaviour
R.Fuller, 55, unsporting behaviour
Red Cards
G.Horsfield, 28, violent conduct
Match Squads
Birmingham 0
Preston 2
1. I.Bennett
2. D.Powell
3. K.Cunningham
4. O.Tebily
5. M.Sadler (46)
6. B.Hughes
7. J.Hutchinson
8. D.Carter (64)
9. S.Lazaridis
10. G.Horsfield
11. C.Morrison
1. D.Lucas
2. G.Alexander
3. C.Lucketti (73)
4. M.Broomes
5. R.Edwards
6. T.Mears (61)
7. D.Etuhu
8. P.McKenna
9. E.Lewis
10. R.Fuller (83)
11. D.Healy
Substitutes
12. N.Vaesen
13. P.Devlin
14. S.John
15. J.Kirovski(64)
16. C.Fagan(46)
12. T.Moilanen
13. R.Cresswell(61)
14. C.Murdock(73)
15. M.Rankine(83)
16. M.Jackson