No - no matter how many times I type it, it still doesn't look right. Still, there you go. Paul McShane, formerly of 'Lovejoy', put Albion 1-0 up, before Julian Gray was sent off leaving Blues chasing the game with ten men, but chase it they did, and they got themselves a decent enough point.
Steve Bruce made one change to the team that lost pathetically at Norwich, with Gray replacing Seb Larsson on the left side of midfield. Albion included Diomansy Kamara, Jason Koumas, Zoltan Gera and Nathan Ellington in an attacking line-up, with former Blues man Darren Carter only on the bench. Only 21,000 or so fans turned up to watch too, but maybe it's a sign o' the times with it being Sunday morning, on Sky, lack of interest, etc, etc. Despite Blues selling out their away allocation, we've been there ourselves this season.
There wasn't a great deal in it in the first half. Both teams settled well enough, but cancelled each other out to a degree. Kamara was a threat for Albion as he caused Stephen Kelly plenty of problems, whilst Koumas picked out some decent enough passes. Blues' front two of Nicklas Bendtner and Rowan Vine struggled to get into the game, but Blues were comfortable enough. Ellington and Kamara went close for Albion, whilst at the other end Vine volleyed high and wide when well placed from a corner and Gray had a penalty claim turned down by referee Mike Riley, who was blessing the Championship with his presence.
Blues started off the better side in the second half and both Johnson and Muamba should have done better with efforts from the edge of the area. Johnson turned provider with a good low cross that Vine directed towards goal, only to be superbly denied by Dean Kiely as Blues began to take control. Blues being Blues though managed to take control of the game moments before gifting the opposition a goal.
Koumas was given too much time on the ball and got to the corner of the penalty area before delivering a low ball across the face of the goal where McShane was on hand to clip the ball home, shrugging off Gray's poor attempt at a challenge. In an interesting tactical battle, Johnson had tucked tight into the heart of midfield to deal with the extra man Albion had in there, and as things had become narrow in the midfield, Albion had been able to use their full-backs, and McShane exposed this area pretty well.
Gray managed to make a more successful challenge on McShane moments later, but unfortunately for all the success in felling the former Manchester United defender, the challenge was illegal and whilst McShane was through on goal. It looked to be more of a "coming together" than a cynical hack, but Riley brandished the red card in Gray's direction and Blues were 1-0 down and one man down - not ideal really.
Blues threw on DJ Campbell, Cameron Jerome and Larsson and played a bit of a mad formation as they searched for an equaliser, with Johnson playing more as an attacking right-back, Kelly at centre half following Martin Taylor's withdrawal (he'd been poor) and a front three of Bendtner, Jerome and Campbell. Blues' offensive intent obviously meant they were a bit more exposed at the back, and Koumas went close before Ellington should have done better with a header from and Jonathan Greening cross.
As time ticked on it appeared that Blues were going to suffer a second successive defeat and a further dent to their promotion hopes. However, Blues this season are made of fairly stern stuff (unless they're playing one of the rubbish teams from the bottom of the league) and they got their equaliser a couple of minutes before the end. Given that Blues had Bendtner, Jerome and Campbell on the pitch, plus the likes of Radhi Jaidi and Stephen Clemence who've got a few goals between them this season, if you'd asked someone where the goal was likely to come from it's doubtful that they'd have said Damien Johnson who I don't think has scored since Blues' second season in the Premiership at home to Everton, and even that was a pass that ended up going in. Throw in the fact that he was effectively playing right back now, and it's pretty unlikely that anyone would have picked him out as the source of the equaliser.
Anyway, it was Johnson who scored, and as with his goal against Leeds all those years ago, what a goal it was. The Blues skipper had crossed the ball himself and it made its way to Clemence at the far post. Clemence clipped the ball back into the area and an Albion head half cleared the ball to the edge of the area where Johnson's left foot connected with it and unleashed a quite stunning volley into the top corner of Kiely's net.
Johnson's celebration was interesting, to say the least. He ran to the ecstatic Blues fans cupping his hand to his ear, and appeared to be having a bit of a retort at his own fans. In fairness to Johnson, even today he was getting grief from people around me who make him an easy target. Familiarity can breed contempt, and he's an easy scapegoat for people, but anyone who reads these reports knows that I tend to defend him - he was no better or worse than anyone else today. I'm not sure if there has been or will be any reaction to his celebration, but fair play to him, I think. He takes a lot of unnecessary stick, and after a goal like that in a big local derby, if he feels he wants to vent his frustrations, fair play to him.
Albion tried for a winner, but it wasn't to be for them, and Blues came away with a good point. I'd have probably settled for a draw before the game anyway, but when you're 1-0 down with ten men away from home against a decent side with 5 minutes left, well, anyone would take a draw, so no real complaints here. Blues were sloppy at times and weren't at their best, although nor were Albion, I'd say, and I think a draw was a fair result.
So Blues are back off the top of the table, but are still well positioned, and this result may well see one of their potential rivals for automatic promotion out of the picture now. Had Albion held on and won, they'd have fancied their chances in the promotion race, but this keeps them a fair distance back and they'll have to go some in their final seven games to overhaul Blues, Derby, Sunderland and Preston now.
As for Blues, well they've had a tricky spell lately with some big games and some decent opponents, and whilst it hasn't been stunning, they've done ok. Their next four games are Coventry at home, Burnley at home, Barnsley away and Southampton at home - all very winnable. If (and yes, it's a big "if") they could get twelve points from those four games they'd be in a very healthy position indeed. Ten points would probably do, but after the games they've had recently, and after a timely two week break, they should look at each of those four games as winnable and a chance to really cement an automatic promotion place. I bloody hope that's how they look at it anyway.