Birmingham City – Manchester City

1. Join us at 1600 GMT for Manchester City's trip to Birmingham.

2. We've got the team news in.

3. Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Doyle, Phillips, Fahey, McSheffrey, Parnaby, Carsley, Vignal.

4. Manchester City: Given, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Tevez. Subs: Taylor, Richards, Johnson, Ireland, Sylvinho, Petrov, Weiss.

5. After an impressive start, City are now on a run of one win in five games and need to get back to winning ways today.

6. Santa Cruz leads the line in the absence of the injured Adebayor, while Zabaleta replaces Richards after serving his ban.

7. Birmingham ended a run of four successive defeats in all competitions when they beat Sunderland last week. They're currently two points clear of the relegation zone.

8. Alex McLeish is playing Benitez, Jerome and McFadden from the off, so it appears the Blues will be going for all three points.

9. The teams are out on the pitch.

10. The sides are holding a minute's silence for Remembrance Sunday next week.

11. Impeccably observed, and the crowd roars ahead of the battle of the nouveau riche.

12. 1'

    Birmingham get us underway.

13. 1'

    Santa Cruz marks his introduction by apparently trying to chest a pass along the floor and handballing it. Presumably he slipped, but he sparks a Blues attack (which comes to nothing).

14. 2'

    Scott Dann welcomes Tevez to St Andrew's with an arm to the head. Nothing intentional, you'd think.

15. 3'

    Benitez gets an early shot off, but Given has no problems. Could have done better.

16. 4'

    City nearly find a way through as Santa Cruz looks to get onto a loose ball, but he's blocked off and Birmingham deal with it.

17. 5'

    City pass the ball around the backline for a bit, trying to get a bit of a grip on things, before Lescott hoofs it up to Bellamy, but it's easy for Maik Taylor to gather.

18. 6'

    Barry tries to find Santa Cruz with a chipped pass from the centre of the park, but the Paraguayan is offside.

19. 7'

    Barry Ferguson snatches the ball from a daydreaming Gareth Barry and goes close with a shot that flies just wide.

20. 8'

    Birmingham have started the better here and Wright-Phillips looks to be the only man trying to give City another option.

21. 9'

    Benitez hits the post! His shot takes a deflection on the edge of the area but, thanks to a superb Given save, it bounces back off the post!

22. 11'

    It's still very lively at St Andrew's and City aren'y really stepping up.

23. 11'

    Benitez goes close again! The Birmingham striker is denied by Given as he goes through on goal!

24. 13'

    Wright-Phillips swings a cross in for Santa Cruz, but he can't steer it on target from a difficult angle after losing his marker.

25. 14'

    Bellamy comes close to snatching a goal against the run of play! Tevez plays a superb throughball but Bellamy's effort is blocked by Roger Johnson and misses the target.

26. 15'

    Another City attack, this time with a Tevez cross getting picked off easily by Maik Taylor.

27. 16'

    Birmingham are showing incredible energy. Barry and Kompany have already been caught in possession to give away chances, and Zabaleta is the latest to hand Given a problem.

28. 17'

    Bridge curls a cross in behind the defence but it's dealt with easily enough. Birmingham still on top.

29. 19'

    Wright-Phillips causes problems with a shot as it bounces just in front of Maik Taylor, but his defenders come to his rescue and prevent Santa Cruz turning it in.

30. 20'

    Tevez and Santa Cruz are involved in the build-up as Bellamy goes down the left to win a corner.

31. 20'

    Taylor unconvincingly pushes away the corner and sparks a Blues counter, but Benitez's ball to Larsson is just too long.

32. 22'

    Wright-Phillips skips down the wing and feeds the ball across to Tevez who sets up Bellamy, but his shot again deflects wide.

33. 22'

    Birmingham eventually clear the corner after several attempts to get it back into the box.

34. 23'

    City are battling their way back into the game now.

35. 24'

    Benitez goes too early to pick up a long ball over the top. He could quite easily have delayed his run there and caused problems.

36. 25'

    Both sides are misplacing passes now and the energy levels have dipped slightly.

37. 26'

    Santa Cruz is offside again. He looks a bit rusty still, even if he did open his City account midweek.

38. 27'

    McFadden fires an effort on goal from distance and, although it was probably just going to miss the target, Given helps it on its way.

39. 28'

    Awful corner easily headed away by Zabaleta.

40. 28'

    Yellow card for Ferguson as he blocks off Bellamy.

41. 29'

    Lescott heads the ensuing free-kick a long way over.

42. 30'

    Tevez plays another superb throughball and, via a blocked cross from Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz comes close to his first league goal for City, but it's wide.

43. 32'

    Tevez takes a shot from the edge of the area but it's well over. City are starting to take charge.

44. 33'

    Another City attack comes to nothing as Santa Cruz sees an attempted throughball deflected through to Taylor.

45. 34'

    Bowyer plays a ball through to Larsson, who just fails to pick it up. Incisive play from Birmingham and proof that this game is still wide open.

46. 36'

    McFadden barges down Bellamy to concede a free-kick to mark an untidy end to an untidy couple of minutes' play.

47. 37'

    Bellamy scuffs the free-kick horribly. It was a fair way out but, still, that was a horrible waste.

48. 38'

    City get into the area again and Zabaleta has a couple of goes at crossing it in, but it comes to nothing. A good match is in danger of fading if the sides don't make these chances count.

49. 40'

    Birmingham want a yellow card for a De Jong foul. After a while, the ref gives De Jong a talking to. The fans are chanting for him to get sent off, but that would be stupid.

50. 42'

    Birmingham take an age over a free-kick and it's cleared, but they keep the pressure on and force Given into a save. He drops it and Bowyer nearly kicks his face off, but doesn't.

51. 44'

    There's some fractious goings on now and we're in danger of tempers spoiling our lovely game of football.

52. 45'

    Gareth Barry goes through in the area and goes a bit rubber-legged before failing to get a shot off.

53. 46'

    Dann is booked for a foul on Tevez and the resulting free-kick is horribly wasted by Barry.

54. 48'

    Benitez puts in a cross for Larsson, but it's just too long, and that brings an end to an action-packed and occasionally angry first half at St Andrew's. Join us in 15 for part two.

55. 46'

    City get the game back underway.

56. 46'

    Lescott hesitates in defence and nearly lets Benitez in, but Given comes away with the ball.

57. 47'

    City go on the attack but it breaks down on the right wing courtesy of some slack control from Zabaleta.

58. 49'

    The ball's getting bogged down in midfield a little and attacks are all breaking down before anyone can get a shot away, but the tempo's still high.

59. 50'

    Tevez fires well over the bar from just outside the area despite having plenty of time to get his shot away.

60. 52'

    Larsson curls a free-kick into the box, but it's easily dealt with by Given. The game needs a cutting-edge.

61. 52'

    Jerome goes down between Kompany and Wright-Phillips, but the referee says no foul.

62. 53'

    McFadden feeds Benitez - he's offside again and, again, he shouldn't be.

63. 54'

    It's not quite happening for Tevez at the moment. He picks up the ball in the middle of the Birmingham half but, despite two attempts, can't make a pass.

64. 55'

    Yellow card for Wayne Bridge as he knocks the ball away.

65. 55'

    Penalty for Birmingham. De Jong and Larsson jump for the ball and De Jong clearly uses his arm.

66. 56'

    Shay Given saves James McFadden's penalty! It's poorly taken, but great effort from the City keeper nonetheless.

67. 57'

    Another yellow card - this time McFadden is in the book, showing his frustration with a foul on De Jong.

68. 59'

    City go on the attack and Zabaleta looks to get onto the ball on the edge of the area but loses his balance under pressure.

69. 60'

    Tevez plays in Wright-Phillips and the winger pulls the ball back from the goal line, but his cross is cut out.

70. 60'

    Stephen Ireland comes on for Nigel De Jong.

71. 61'

    Lescott heads the corner towards goal but there's no power on it and Taylor saves easily enough.

72. 61'

    James McFadden comes off, looking a little disgruntled, with Keith Fahey taking his place.

73. 62'

    Jerome comes close with a header as he rises just above Kompany, but he can't hit the target. Good effort.

74. 63'

    Santa Cruz picks up a booking, showing why he's not a defender as he tugs down Fahey as the substitute races down the left flank.

75. 65'

    Birmingham have a corner and ref Mike Dean has to calm down Kompany and Ridgewell as they get a bit feisty. The corner's easily cleared.

76. 67'

    Santa Cruz comes off to be replaced by Martin Petrov.

77. 67'

    Tevez drops a shoulder and comes into the corner of the area before firing off a shot, forcing a good save from Taylor.

78. 68'

    Larsson shows some pace down the right flank to get past Ireland, but his cross is dealt with.

79. 69'

    Fahey feeds Bowyer, who fires the ball across goal from the right wing, but Jerome fails to get there in time and the chance is lost.

80. 71'

    Larsson tries a speculative effort, trying to catch Given off-guard with a lobbed shot on the bounce that goes high and wide.

81. 71'

    Ferguson attempts a ball over the top for Benitez but it's too long and goes out of play. The Blues still look the better side and City's substitutions have done little to change things so far.

82. 73'

    Barry plays a ball to Wright-Phillips at the back post but, despite surprisingly getting the better of Ridgewell to reach it, he can't steer it on goal and he's offside anyway.

83. 74'

    Jerome picks up on a loose ball and races away but, when he reaches the area, his pass is sloppy and the attack breaks down.

84. 76'

    Kompany nearly gives Given another problem as he gets a bit too much on his backpass, but the keeper copes well and clears the ball.

85. 77'

    Taylor concedes a corner, but it's headed away at the near post.

86. 79'

    Everything's died down a little for now at St Andrew's. The calm before the storm?

87. 81'

    Wright-Phillips gets away down the right and chips a cross in, but it's over the bar.

88. 82'

    Ferguson tries to chip a free-kick intot he City area, but it's not up to much and is dealt with easily.

89. 83'

    Benitez nearly gets a breakthrough after some unconvincing defending, but the ball rolls away for a corner, which City clear.

90. 84'

    City counter and go on the attack, with Wayne Bridge having a shot, but the ref stops the play as Roger Johnson takes a knock.

91. 84'

    Tevez had wanted a penalty in the midst of the penalty area activity after a tussle with Larsson. A reasonable shout. Johnson is still down and the stretcher is on.

92. 86'

    Johnson looks fairly dazed after taking a bang to the head, but he's ready to come back on.

93. 88'

    City are looking to park themselves in the Birmingham half for the closing minutes. Still no way through, though.

94. 88'

    Jerome is replaced by veteran striker Kevin Phillips.

95. 89'

    Benitez is offside again. He could do with practising that part of his game a touch.

96. 90'

    Given claims well in a crowded area, setting City back on the attack again.

97. 91'

    Six minutes of added time after the Johnson injury.

98. 91'

    City win a corner, but Taylor comes out to catch it with no problems.

99. 91'

    Phillips has a fine chance to snatch the three points as Bowyer puts the ball into the area, but he scuffs the shot - which wasn't the easiest shot to take on, in fairness.

100. 93'

     Petrov receives the ball on the right-hand side of the area and controls before unleashing a shot, but it swerves away from goal and the chance is lost.

101. 94'

     City build an attack and Tevez cuts across the edge of the area before firing in a shot, but he fails to hit the target by some distance.

102. 95'

     Red card for Barry Ferguson! He picks up a second yellow, bizarrely, for putting his hand up to block a throw-in for no apparent reason.

103. 97'

     It's full-time! Birmingham may feel they could have won it, particularly given the missed penalty, but both sides could and should have done better in front of goal.

104. 97'

     Thanks for joining us today for the commentary. Stick with ESPN Soccernet for the post-match reaction.

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