Great Start!
17 August 2007
Birmingham City 2 Sunderland 2
Still undefeated after two games but they didn't half leave it late with super-sub Stern John heading home an equaliser only seconds from the end.
Sunderland had started brightly enough and Connolly must have wondered what was going on when he was the subject of a blatant push in the box but no penalty. Had this occurred in the middle of the pitch a free-kick would have been awarded but, for some obscure reason, the rules are different inside the 18-yard box!
Birmingham boss Steve Bruce, like his Sunderland counterpart and former team-mate Roy Keane, will stand for no less than total effort so it was always going to be a night of fight. Birmingham went ahead rather fortunately when the ball brushed the chest of McShane and this was enough to take it past Craig Gordon's despairing lunge.
However, Saturday's hero Michael Chopra showed his finishing prowess when with what was only a half-chance, he sent a lovely left-foot volley high into the net. Birmingham though produced their own super-sub to go back into the lead.
Garry O'Connor, the Scotsman who was plying his trade in Russia last season, showed great alertness to adjust and get his shot in really quickly.
Carlos Edwards had a quite magnificent run culminating in him somehow getting in a great cross which Stern got his head to but could only steer it on to the bar.
Well it was a fighting display and a bit unlucky to go home pointless? Why, not likely!1 A final throw of the dice results in a goalmouth mellee and with new signing O'Donovan perched on top of the opposing goalkeeper, Stern John flicks the ball home with his head and the never-say-die spirit has prevailed again--as it did on numerous occasions last season.
A great home win and a fine away point. Not a bad start!!
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