Birmingham City – Liverpool

1. Join us for all the action from St Andrews as Liverpool look for a win over Birmingham City to secure their Champions League ambitions. Kick off: Saturday 17.35 UK time.

2. Birmingham: Bennett, Tebily, Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Johnson, Savage, Clemence, Lazaridis, Forssell, Morrison. Subs: Doyle, Hughes, John, Cisse, Martin Taylor.

3. Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Kewell, Heskey, Owen. Subs: Baros, Sinama Pongolle, Biscan, Cheyrou, Luzi Bernardi.

4. Birmingham welcome back top scorer Mikael Forssell, while Emile Heskey is in for Liverpool. It's a must-win game for the Reds...

5. 1'

   We're off! Birmingham get the game under way

6. 1'

   Tebily overruns the ball and flies in scissors-like on Riise, who is left clutching his knee in agony. Ref Steve Dunn doesn't even give the defender a talking-to

7. 3'

   Riise hobbles over the touchline after lengthy treatment as Igor Biscan warms up...

8. 4'

   Biscan sits down again - Riise's going to carry on

9. 4'

   Niggly opening: this time it's Kewell leaving a foot in on Clemence in the corner.

10. 5'

    Morrison's on the deck now. A boot in the head from Carragher has put him there. Free-kick...

11. 6'

    Decent ball in from Savage but Upson can't get his head on the end of it

12. 6'

    Good first touch for Dudek, who picks Johnson's cross from the top of Morrison's head

13. 8'

    Birmingham dominating possession but there's no sign of them finding a way through just now

14. 8'

    Liverpool break up play and should have been one up from their first attack: Murphy sets Heskey away but he opts for the shot with Owen unmarked in the middle and screws it wide

15. 10'

    Cunningham leaves a long ball for keeper Bennett to deal with, but a dodgy bounce almost lets in Owen.

16. 11'

    Clever reverse pass from Forssell aimed at Morrison's run. Carragher cuts it out, and Morrison had strayed offside in any case

17. 12'

    Hyypia comes off better in an aerial battle with fellow Finn Forssell. The first of many no doubt...

18. 14'

    Not much pace or panache about Liverpool going forward at the moment, though Murphy is prompting play well

19. 15'

    Kewell slides a pass into the box for Heskey, whose shot hits Cunningham and goes for a corner...

20. 15'

    That was a chance! The corner is headed out but Hamann chips it back in to leave Owen clear on goal. Terrible first touch, though, and he doesn't even get a shot in

21. 16'

    Hyypia sees his name up in lights and tries his luck from 25 yards. Not a bad effort, either, but Bennett is happy to watch it clear the crossbar

22. 18'

    Bit of a lull, on the pitch and off. Not much noise from the stands.

23. 19'

    Heskey injects a bit of life into things with a lovely ball through for Owen. Poor first touch again, though, and the chance goes

24. 21'

    Fantastic move from Birmingham pulls Liverpool's defence out of shape and ends with Dudek tipping Morrison's rising drive over...

25. 22'

    Dudek flaps nervously at the corner, but no Blue is alert enough to make him pay for the error

26. 23'

    What a chance! Poor Cunningham header falls perfectly for Owen, but Bennett smothers his close-range effort at the second attempt. Owen not himself so far

27. 25'

    Birmingham pressing again, but Hyypia is holding his back four firmly together

28. 27'

    Lazaridis gets a bit of room on the left and delivers his customary dangerous cross. Morrison gets up well but his header is wide of the target

29. 27'

    Liverpool give it straight back, but Savage can't take advantage and drifts a harmless cross over Dudek's goal

30. 29'

    GOAL! Fourth time lucky for Owen, who collects Heskey's pass and holds off Cunningham before poking the ball past Bennett. Much more like the Owen we know!

31. 31'

    Liverpool have their tails up now and Owen and Heskey combine to feed Kewell, who wins a corner...

32. 32'

    Gerrard ball in causes havoc in the Blues box, Hamann has a swing but his powerful shot hits a wall of defenders

33. 34'

    Finnan fires in a deep cross aimed at Owen on the back stick, but Tebily gets up to nod it away from the striker

34. 36'

    Birmingham struggling to get a kick - the midfield four for Liverpool are well on top

35. 37'

    Twinkle-toed run from Forssell leaves two Reds defenders looking silly, but he attempts one stepover too many and Carragher intervenes

36. 38'

    Forssell is enjoying himself at the moment - a cute backheel almost lets Johnson in on goal

37. 39'

    A bit more adventure from Birmingham in the last few minutes. Clapham sidles forward from left-back, but his pass in for Morrison is cut out by Riise

38. 40'

    Good bit of passing gives Johnson a crossing chance on the right. The Liverpool box is packed with Birmingham players, but Johnson dithers for an age and the chance goes

39. 41'

    Murphy hurtles in to a 50-50 with Savge and comes away with the ball. He's hurt himself in the process though and needs a bit of magic spray before continuing

40. 43'

    Strange pass from Carragher, who looks around to consider his options and then thumps it 60 yards into touch

41. 44'

    Hamann halts a Lazaridis burst with a bit of a wild lunge. Chance for Birmingham to throw a ball into the box here...

42. 45'

    The Blues set-pieces have been poor all half, and this one from Savage is no better. Straight at Dudek

43. 45'

    Another weaving run from Forssell and this time he manages to get a shot in too. On target, but not enough fizz to trouble the keeper

44. 45'

    HALF-TIME Liverpool emerged from a scrappy opening to put some good football together and deserve their lead. But Forssell is starting to look lively - he'll need watching closely in the second half...

45. 46'

    Liverpool kick off the second half. No changes on either side

46. 47'

    Steve Bruce is only now making his way down to the touchline to dugout. He's missed nothing.

47. 47'

    Johnson burrows down the right flank but, with Riise in close attendance, his cross is wayward

48. 48'

    Gerrard is forced tu run the ball right across his own penalty area with Morrison hot on his heels. The Reds skipper has too much pace for him

49. 50'

    Ref Dunn gets in the way of Clemence, allowing Gerrard to come away with possession

50. 51'

    GOAL! Great move, great goal. Kewell's backflick is touched on by Owen for Gerrard, who centres for Heskey to slot in at the near post. It'll be hard for Birmingham to come back from this...

51. 54'

    Birmingham trying to rouse themselves, and Morrison's hard work allows Johnson to swing a cross over. Carragher beats Lazaridis to it though

52. 55'

    Another ball in from Johnson, and this time Carragher opts to head it out for a corner...

53. 55'

    Lazaridis sends it into the danger zone, but Dudek claims without a Blues shirt in sight

54. 55'

    BOOKING! Johnson's the fisrt man in the book for a late one on Murphy

55. 57'

    Lazaridis heads a long ball into the path of Forssell, but Gerrard arrives on the scene to clear just as the Finn is pulling the trigger

56. 58'

    Gerrard carves the Blues defence apart with a pass for Heskey, but Kewell can't convert his cross. the ball breaks for Gerrard, but his effort is no bother to Bennett

57. 59'

    SUBS! Steve Bruce goes for broke with a triple change, Cisse, John and Hughes on for Clapham, Clemence and Savage

58. 61'

    John almost gets a sight on goal with his first touch but Carragher recovers to hack away

59. 61'

    Forssell takes on Carragher in the box and beats him, but his driven ball across goal is too high for Hughes

60. 62'

    Cisse makes his presence felt in the centre of midfield with a crude tackle on Heskey

61. 63'

    Morrison makes a nuisance of himself on the right and bends a cross past Riise, but Hughes can't climb high enough

62. 64'

    OFF! Gerrard breaks up the other end and beats Cunningham to a loose ball. The Reds skipper is bearing down on goal, until Cunnigham pulls his shirt and trips him up for good measure. Out comes the red card, into an early bath goes Cunningham

63. 65'

    Murphy stands over the resulting free-kick, but it's Riise who hits it. It's a poor one, though

64. 67'

    Bruce is trying to reorganise his side from the touchline, but Birmingham look in disarray

65. 68'

    Cisse flies in on Kewell and gets nowhere near the ball. It's a yellow card for the substitute

66. 69'

    Space opens up for Hamann, who tries a potshot with his weaker left foot. It doesn't trouble the keeper

67. 69'

    Loud cheers are Birmingham get a decision from ref Dunn. It's a free-kick 40 yards out, but Dudek claims Lazaridis' average delivery

68. 71'

    Not much happening on the pitch, so the Birmingham fans amuse themselves with a chorus of anti-Aston Villa songs

69. 72'

    Liverpool get themselves a corner, but Gerrard's inswinging kick is too close to the keeper

70. 73'

    There are gaping holes in the Birmingham defence, and that should have been three. Owen gets to the byline and squares for Heskey, but this time his near-post strike is off target

71. 74'

    It's shooting practice for Liverpool at the moment. Birmingham stand off Gerrard, whose 25-yard curler clips the top of Bennett's net

72. 75'

    Morrison and Forssell have a thankless task now, but they're still giving it everything

73. 76'

    Owen, by contrast, has all the room he wants. Gerrard lays the ball on a plate, and Owen takes it round the keeper but loses control. Lazaridis nips in to clear

74. 78'

    Liverpool are camped in Birmingham's half, and Tebily invites yet more pressure by miscuing his clearance into the stand

75. 80'

    It's a stroll for Liverpool, but they'll want more goals - goal difference could yet play a part in the race for the Champions League spot

76. 81'

    Morrison all the way back on the edge of his own box helping out the defence - it's the only way he can get a touch at the moment

77. 83'

    Rare sortie into the Reds half for Birmingham, but Hughes has no-one to pass to on the left and the ball breaks back to Dudek

78. 84'

    Heskey's pass gives Kewell the run of the Blues half. He cuts inside and bangs one with his left-foot, but it slices wide of goal

79. 85'

    Lazaridis charges down the other end and wins a corner for his side off Finnan...

80. 85'

    Lazaridis' kick is headed away and Liverpool have a chance to break, but Gerrard's pass is wayward for once

81. 86'

    GOAL! No mistake this time though. The tireless Gerrard beats Johnson to Murphy's long ball and side-foots perfectly beyond Bennett

82. 88'

    Gerrard looks for Kewell with a bent 50-yard pass, but it's slightly overhit and Bennett claims

83. 89'

    Birmingham lift the crowd by stringing a few passes together, but Morrison can't get on the end of Forssell's backheel

84. 90'

    Kewell hits a perfect ball for Owen with the outside of his left boot, but the striker spurns teh chance of a fourth by curling his shot wide with just Bennett to beat

85. 90'

    FULL-TIME That's about as convincing as Liverpool have been all season. Two fine goals gave them a cushion, and after Cunningham's sending-off it was a cakewalk

86. 90'

    FULL-TIME Liverpool are firm favourites for fourth spot now. Aston Villa's poor goal difference puts them out of the equation, and Newcastle must win their two games in hand to draw level with the Reds ahead of the teams' final-day showdown

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