The fall from grace was almost complete. Lee Clark`s Blues had one game to preserve their Championship status.
Travelling to the Reebok Stadium for a 12:45pm kick off would usually have me ranting and raving about stupid, early kick off times. But with such nerves buzzing around, this fixture couldn`t come soon enough.
Arriving in Manchester at 9am, Yates` Bar had the pleasure of our company. A few nerve-quenching beers and a breakfast? something to keep us standing for what would surely be a rollercoaster ride.
“Sod waiting around for a train, let`s hop in a taxi”. That was the smartest thing I had said all morning. We got to the Reebok Stadium at 12.40pm, in the nick of time. Hopefully, we wouldn`t be heading for the exits in the next half an hour!
As per usual, we walked in to a vociferous Blues away contingent, a little over 3,500 – due to police advice. In truth, Blues could have sold out the Reebok Stadium for a game like this. It`s what we live for.
Pleasantly surprising was the first half performance. Although the half-time whistle blew whilst goalless, the display was a very good one. With Doncaster also goalless at Leicester – a result Blues had to better – something had to give.
And in typical Blues style, as was a regular occurrence that season – we fell behind to a Chung Yong-Lee strike. Disaster.
But oh wait? Leicester City have taken the lead against Doncaster. A lifeline.
Whether that news distracted the Blues players, I`m not sure. But it soon got worse. Lukas Jutkiewicz smashed the second home, beating Darren Randolph at his near post in the 76th minute. As it stands, Blues need to score at least two goals.
Before we could even catch our breath? Mitch Hancox curled in a peach of a cross which Nikola Zigic planted in to make it 2-1. Another lifeline.
“We only need one goal” was the cry from the Blues fans. Followed by a deafening “We`re Birmingham City, we’ll fight til the end”.
Chances were created and squandered for both sides. Time was running out. Blues had six minutes of stoppage time to save their bacon.
Bolton, chance missed. Randolph saves. Nerves at an all time high, nails non-existent. But now we have nothing to lose. We have to go for it. Let`s go down fighting.
Final whistle goes at Leicester. Doncaster have lost one-nil? COME ON? We need a goal!!!
Jonathan Spector wins a tussle and passes to Lee Novak who punts a hopeful ball into the mixer. It makes it way through to Jordan Ibe who teases the full back. His shot is deflected? Fedreico Macheda throws himself at it, misses. The ball bounces up. Zigic heads it towards goal, cleared off the line?
It drops out of the sky, Paul Caddis meets it with his head?
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Absolute bedlam in the stand with bodies and limbs flying everywhere. At this point I fell on the floor about five rows in front of my seat. A gentleman, unconcerned with my injuries, jumps on top of me, shaking me back and forth screaming “we`ve done it, we`ve done it”.
In all honestly, I didn`t give a damn. Blues had scored a 93rd minute equaliser to avoid relegation to League One. Surely we couldn`t mess it up now.
Bolton missed another half-chance. But all Blues had to do was keep it tight at the back.
The final whistle is blown. Rapturous celebrations in the away end. Clark is on the pitch, hops into the stand. BLUES HAVE SURVIVED.
Caddis` goal was celebrated more than Obafemi Martins` Wembley winner. Only Blues could make a mountain out of molehill. But only Blues could then recover and climb that mountain. It was a perfect way to end a horrible season and the only way we know. The Blues way.
Twitter @robwildey123
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