Wanderers 1 Birmingham 1

Wanderers 4-3-3

JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 6

One or two hesitant moments but was ultimately let down by the dallying of his defenders.

NICKY HUNT ... 6

Found Gronkjaer a real handful; stuck to the task well but was not at his best.

RADHI JAIDI ... 7

Took his goal like a striker; defended effectively in the main but got sloppy at times, like the rest.

BRUNO N'GOTTY... 6

Helped keep Heskey quiet for much of the game but caught on his heels once or twice.

RICARDO GARDNER ... 5

A good first half but the second was a catalogue of calamities summed up by his lucky escape at the end.

KEVIN NOLAN ... 6

Never wanting for effort and endeavour but his stray passing let him down in the second half.

IVAN CAMPO ... 7

Into everything first half when he was both solid in defence and creative; less effective after the break as Birmingham rallied.

GARY SPEED ... 8

Strained every sinew to put Wanderers on top first period and to keep them in the game in the second.

EL-HADJI DIOUF ... 6

Would not have played had Okocha been fit but made a good contribution, despite getting a rough ride.

KEVIN DAVIES ... 7

Took a battering from Upson and Cunningham but did not shy away; appreciated by team-mates and fans.

HENRIK PEDERSEN ... 7

Back off the bench, as expected, and so unlucky to have his "goal" disallowed. Gave everything for the cause.

Subs: Stelios (6) for Diouf 65 mins, Les Ferdinand for Davies 78 mins.

Not used: Fernando Hierro, Julio Cesar, Kevin Poole.

Birmingham City 4-5-1

MAIK TAYLOR ... 6

MARIO MELCHIOT ... 7

KENNY CUNNINGHAM ... 7

MATTHEW UPSON ... 7

JAM IE CLAPHAM ... 6

DAMIEN JOHNSON ... 6

MUZZY IZZET ... 7

ROBBIE SAVAGE ... 8

STEPHEN CLEMENCE ... 6

JESPER GRONKJAER ... 6

EMILE HESKEY ... 6

Subs: David Dunn for Gronkjaer 77 mins, Julian Gray for Izzet 88 mins.

Not used: Dwight Yorke, Clinton Morrison, Nico Vaesen.

REFEREE:

Rob Styles

ATTENDANCE:

23,692.

GOALS:

Wanderers - Jaidi 16 mins; Birmingham - Izzet 48 mins.

SHOTS/HEADERS ON TARGET:

Wanderers 7, Birmingham 2.

CORNERS:

Wanderers 7, Birmingham 2.

OFFSIDES:

Wanderers 3, Birmingham 4.

FOULS COMMITTED:

Wanderers 5, Birmingham 18.

BOOKINGS:

Wanderers - N'Gotty 56 mins (off the ball clash with Heskey), Jaidi 74 mins (foul on Clemence); Birmingham - Savage 27 mins (foul on Speed).

MAN OF THE MATCH

GARY SPEED - THE most experienced player in Premiership history used all his nous and every ounce of effort to help Wanderers take command in the first half and to prevent Birmingham doing the same in the second. Still going strong at 35.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

THE Pedersen "goal" would have been irrelevant had Wanderers not defended so sloppily just after the break.

They gave Birmingham all the encouragement they needed to put their wretched first half performance behind them and Wanderers paid the ultimate price when Muzzy Izzet smashed his goal home.

MAGIC MOMENT

RADHI Jaidi's finish was pure quality.

A powerful 6ft 4ins defender is not expected to take the ball down on his chest and hook in a gem of a shot in a crowded area.

That's a striker's job but the big Tunisian showed them how it's done.