THE UNCONTROLLED CELEBRATION was familiar. Steve Bruce greeted his team’s winning goal in the final seconds just as Brian Kidd, the former Manchester United assistant manager, had done 14 seasons earlier when Bruce headed home deep into added time against Sheffield Wednesday to give hope that Old Trafford’s 26-year wait for the league title would end.
Bruce’s ambition now is to engineer an immediate return to the Barclays Premiership for Birmingham City and he cavorted on to the pitch in a release of tension when Sebastian Larsson provided the decisive late strike. The afternoon was turning sour before the dramatic arrival of a goal that meant Bruce’s team replaced their opponents at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship. The manager is clearly desperate to make up for last season and he may be aware that the past two managers given a whole season to rectify their mistakes after relegation from the Premiership — Nigel Worthington at Norwich City and Iain Dowie at Crystal Palace — failed even to reach the play-offs.
The bookmakers and Birmingham supporters expect nothing less than promotion, but the two items of “clothing” that Damien Johnson petulantly left on the turf when Bruce substituted him underlined that the manager’s path to redemption will have obstacles aplenty. The captain flung his armband to the floor as he headed for the touchline, prompting jeers from the crowd, which led him to throw his shirt on to the pitch near the corner flag as he neared the players’ tunnel.
He was serenaded to the dressing-room with fans singing obscenities at him and Bruce hinted that disciplinary proceedings may be needed. “The appropriate action will be taken,” the manager said. “He’s a professional and he has to deal with stick. Damien is bitterly disappointed by his own actions.” Johnson appeared to take offence when Birmingham fans, making their point that they felt Mikael Forssell was being introduced too late, with 11 minutes left, produced extra-loud cheers as the captain walked off. A hot-tempered player who has been sent off four times in the past two seasons, his reaction has given Bruce an unwanted distraction.
Bruce had felt the crowd’s wrath when substituting Nicklas Bendtner, the striker, whose impressive contribution included calmly sidefooting home the equaliser from a pass by Mehdi Nafti. Bendtner and Larsson are among three players signed on loan from Arsenal as part of a summer upheaval at St Andrew’s. But the key to their season may lie in their retention of David Dunn.
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The midfield player has often seemed on the verge of building an England career, only to suffer one of his many injuries, and his talent was unquestioned on Saturday. “It was great play by David for their winner,” Peter Taylor, the Crystal Palace manager, said. “A lot of other people would simply have tried to cross it, but David went for the byline and picked someone out.”
Johnson and Dunn stole the limelight from Gary McSheffrey, their fellow midfield player, who was making his Birmingham debut after signing from Coventry City for £4 million.
Taylor, the part-time England Under-21 coach, is having his international post offered on a full-time basis and he knows that anything less than promotion will also place his club job under threat. Palace were outplayed after Jobi McAnuff gave them an early lead.
Birmingham City (4-4-2): M Taylor — S Kelly, R Jaidi, B N’Gotty, M Sadler — D Dunn, M Nafti (sub: S Larsson, 65min), D Johnson (sub: M Forssell, 80), G McSheffrey — N Bendtner (sub: N Danns, 73), D Campbell. Substitutes not used: C Doyle, O Tebily. Booked: Danns. NEXT Cardiff City (a)
Crystal Palace (4-5-1): G Kiraly — D Butterfield (sub: M Lawrence, 65), L Cort, M Hudson, D Granville — T Soares, B Watson (sub: D Freedman, 65), C Fletcher, M Kennedy, J McAnuff — J Scowcroft (sub: C Morrison, 86). Substitutes not used: S Flinders, M Reich. NEXT Burnley (a)
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Referee: M Jones Attendance: 20,223