Birmingham 1 Wanderers 2 JUSSI Jaaskelainen has so many good reasons to remember this performance. Instead it will be one unfortunate moment which will always come to mind first. Wanderers' giant keeper turned in a display as big as his frame to keep sparkling Birmingham at bay and earn tributes from both managers.

But his one low point in an otherwise 90 minute high proved crucial.

Five minutes after half time he found himself in a familiar situation. Another Birmingham raider was homing in on him and a goal looked a distinct possibility.

It had happened countless times earlier, from a variety of angles and usually from a distance which enabled him to see the whites of his rival's eyes as he was about to pull the trigger. On every occasion, the huge Finn had come out on top but not this time.

Home skipper Martin O'Connor raced towards him and unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the box. It was meat and drink to Jaaskelainen compared with his many earlier heroics but this time he proved he was human after all.

As he stooped to gather, the ball spilled agonisingly out of his arms and invitingly into the path of striker Isaiah Rankin who gratefully cashed in on Jaaskelainen's misfortune.

The keeper should not harbour on his slip when there was so much to be positive about his game. He has experienced his fair share of highs and lows during his Wanderers career but for every one step backwards there have been two forwards and if he can keep that momentum going he doubtless has a big future.

Sam Allardyce enthused: "Jussi has done extremely well since I have been at Bolton. He produced some first class saves which is what he is there to do. In fact I have an excellent choice of goalkeepers." Allardyce's opposite number Trevor Francis echoed: "I was very impressed with Jaaskelainen in midweek at Port Vale when, although he didn't have any difficult saves to make, his handling and all round game were very good. In this game he had saves to make and I thought some of them were outstanding."

Jaaskelainen denied Rainkin, Stan Lazaridis and Martin Grainger two goals each and Dele Adebola one with varying degress of the spectacular but always total conviction. He flung himself this way and that, darted off his line to smother bravely and got his positions all right. His magnificent seven saves were mostly in one-on-one situations and must have knocked the confidence and belief out of Birmingham before his single slip helped to restore them.

Once level, there was only going to be one winner and Adebola wrapped it up 16 minutes later when he rose to an enormous height to nod Simon Charlton's left wing cross just inside the far post.

If we are to be brutally honest, it was a travesty of justice that Wanderers had found themselves in with a chance of a point let alone all three. They only seriously troubled Ian Bennett twice and had just one other shot on target, an 18-yard drive from Claus Jensen which had the power but not the accuracy to trouble the keeper.

That they were still in the hunt after 20 minutes was a mystery. Their first lucky escape came after just 90 seconds when Grainger pierced the centre of the defence and smacked the crossbar with a ferocious rising drive. Their second was 11 minutes later when O'Connor arrived unmarked at the far post and Lazaridis spotted him, only to pull his cross back a fraction too much.

In two raids within 30 seconds of each other on 19 minutes Jaaskelainen made three of his seven stunning stops. And a minute later Wanderers made a rare excursion out of their own half and went in front. Gareth Farrelly found Allan Johnston who appeared oblivious to the close attentions of two markers as he conjured up a delicately flighted, inch-perfect chip which gave Bennett no chance and gave Wanderers a flattering lead.

Winning is a habit and, despite being robbed by injury, suspension and international duty of five men who would have been in the starting eleven and being outplayed, Wanderers found themselves in pole position to record a fourth straight victory.

That they didn't was in some part due to the wholesale team changes eventually telling but in most part due to Birmingham producing a formidable performance which had their manager drooling.

"It was a total travesty that we were losing at half time," Francis suggested.

"The first 20 minutes was as good as you are going to get.

"We were outstanding and created excellent opportunities. We did carve them open on numerous occasions. "I did start to think that maybe it was going to be one of those days when all the chances were going begging. We also had to be careful because you always have to give Bolton respect with the talent they have in their side. Jensen, Johansen and Gudjohnsen are all capable of playing in the higher league, they are all Premiership players so we had to be wary of them."

That talent, however, was not having a good day and had to rely on good fortune and good goalkeeping as too many personal battles were being lost. The effort was there in buckets but Birmingham never allowed them the time and space to get into their stride.

At the back Paul Ritchie and Gudni Bergsson fought valiantly to stem the tide of attacks. Ritchie epitomised the tough, battling streak which ran through the side and Bergsson competed, covered and concentrated to keep his battered back line together in the face of severe pressure.

Michael Johansen answered suspicions that he might not have his heart in it now he has signed for another club with the same one hundred per cent determination and desire that he has always shown. But he suffered with the rest when it came to trying to break down the Birmingham defence and, with Ricardo Gardner missing and Jensen nullified by O'Connor and Bryan, the creative force was missing.

Dean Holdsworth and Eidur Gudjohnsen were starved of service and reduced to trying to create their own chances, Gudjohnsen almost managing it with a glorious exhibition of the many attributes that form his huge talent. His speed and strength helped him win a challenge he had no right to before he turned and created space in the blink of an eye followed by a powerful curling shot that was destined for the far corner before Bennett launched himself to his left to make his one save of the match a spectacular and vital one.

That would have put Wanderers back into the lead and few would have bet on a home win at that point.

It all turned sour for Gudjohnsen in the last minute of normal time when his frustration got the better of him and his late challenge on Grainger brought a red card and sparked a mass fracas in which Birmingham players, bench and fans urged referee Mark Halsey to take action against the Wanderers' man.

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