THE finishing powers of three former Liverpool forwards were brought into sharp contrast last night as Emile Heskey, Birmingham City’s £6.25 million record signing, scored a first goal for his new club with the kind of clinical finish that proved beyond Robbie Fowler and Nicolas Anelka.
As Manchester City prepared to sell Paulo Wanchope to Málaga for £500,000, Kevin Keegan, the manager, saw his first-choice forwards miscue from straightforward opportunities as Heskey thudded in a superb winning goal.
On the ground where he scored his final goal for Liverpool, in a 3-0 win in May, Heskey opened his account for Steve Bruce’s team in the seventh minute. Even as Sylvain Distin tried to barge into him, the England forward stood his ground and showed great strength before rising to head in an excellent left-wing cross from Stan Lazaridis.
By that stage, Anelka had miskicked ten yards from goal after Shaun Wright-Phillips, the England new boy, had pulled the ball back from the byline. Midway through a first period dominated by Birmingham, Fowler had the entire goal to aim at, but, from Sun Jihai’s cross, he headed wide.
The loss through injury of Heskey and Lazaridis proved disruptive to Birmingham’s rhythm in the second half but, despite heavy pressure, the visiting team could not conjure a clear opening and will entertain Charlton Athletic on Saturday in search of a first win of the season.
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This was Birmingham’s first victory in 11 matches in the Premiership, stretching back to March, but these are exhilarating times for Bruce’s club. The manager can juggle internationals, last night opting to replace Robbie Savage — starting a three-match suspension after his elbow against Mateja Kezman, of Chelsea, was belatedly identified by an FA video panel — with Mikael Forssell, who was not allowed to play against his parent club on Saturday.
In the first half, the penetration provided by Jesper Gronkjaer and Lazaridis produced a plethora of chances for Heskey and Julian Gray and a second goal for the home team would not have been unjust, notwithstanding the opportunities that fell to Anelka and Fowler. “For an hour, I thought we were very good,” Bruce said. “The loss of Emile and Stan affected us badly.
“In the three games Emile’s played for us, he’s been awesome. I just hope his ankle’s OK. I think we all agree that Emile Heskey, playing as an out-and-out, old-fashioned English centre forward, is the best of his type in the country now that Alan Shearer’s getting older. I had no qualms about spending the money on him. It’s been a long time since we won a game and it’s understandable we were a bit nervy and a bit edgy in the latter stages, but I thought we deserved the victory.”
BIRMINGHAM CITY (4-4-2): Maik Taylor — M Melchiot, K Cunningham, M Upson, S Lazaridis (sub: S Clemence, 59min) — J Gronkjaer, D Johnson, M Izzet, J Gray — M Forssell (sub: O Tebily, 79), E Heskey (sub: S John, 54). Substitutes not used: I Bennett, Martin Taylor. Booked: Izzet.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-2): D James — Sun Jihai, D Mills, S Distin, B Thatcher — S Wright-Phillips, P Bosvelt (sub: J Barton, 79), C Reyna, A Sibierski (sub: T Sinclair, 57) — N Anelka, R Fowler (sub: J Macken, 79). Substitutes not used: K Stuhr-Ellegaard, M Bischoff. Booked: Mills.
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Referee: P Dowd.