Blues stun Liverpool

Blues stun Liverpool

Liverpool found life tough at Birmingham

More photos from St Andrews

Birmingham 2-1 Liverpool

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Birmingham did their hopes of Premiership survival the power of good with a hard-earned victory at St Andrews.

A goal in either half gave them a 2-0 lead and they survived a late surge from Liverpool to pick up three valuable points.

Birmingham went into the lead through a rare goal from Stephen Clemence.

It was the 24-year-old's first goal for Birmingham and only the fourth of his career.

They added a second through Clinton Morrison and held on for their first win in 10 games, despite Michael Owen reducing the scoreline late on.

It was a well deserved three points for Birmingham, who threatened from the opening minute when a fine cross from Damien Johnson fell to an unmarked Stan Lazaridis.

Unfortunately for the home side the Australian showed why he has not scored for over two years as he tamely headed over the bar.

The chances continued to fall at the feet of the wrong men and on five minutes Jamie Carragher had the chance to break the deadlock but fired over with the outside of his left foot.

It was a scrappy opening to the game, but both sides managed to carve out goalscoring chances without being at their fluent best.

KEY MOMENTS

34 mins: Clemence scores the opener for Birmingham

68 mins: Morrison makes it 2-0 to the home side

77 mins: Owen grabs one back for Liverpool

Liverpool forward Emile Heskey did well to set-up team-mate Danny Murphy, but as he shaped to shoot it was Clemence who came to the Blues rescue with a fine last ditch tackle.

Birmingham responded with a dangerous Lazaridis cross that Sami Hyypia managed to cut out at full stretch.

The ball fell invitingly at the feet of Jeff Kenna, who should have scored only the eighth goal of his career but blazed over from eight yards out.

The Birmingham fans did not have to wait much longer for the opening goal as Clemence got up above Carragher to head home a Robbie Savage free-kick.

Liverpool could have answered almost immediately when a shot from Murphy went narrowly wide, with Milan Baros equally close to getting on the end of it.

Heskey then hesitated when he found himself in a good shooting position and Kenny Cunningham slid in to make a fine blocking tackle.

Morrison scored the second for Birmingham

Liverpool brought on Owen midway through the second half as their chances of getting back into the game looked to be fading.

But he had hardly had a touch when Birmingham doubled their lead.

With most of the Liverpool defence seemingly at the other end of the field, Birmingham broke and Lazaridis found himself in acres of space on the left.

He crossed and Morrison had the simple task of slotting past Dudek.

Liverpool ensured a nervy finish for the home side when Murphy split the defence with a fine pass and Owen had the time to slip the ball past Nico Vaesen.

It was Owen's first in eight games and first league goal away from Anfield since September.

But Birmingham held on to move eight points clear of the drop zone and put a major dent in Liverpool's hopes of finishing in the Champions League spots.

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Birmingham: Vaesen, Kenna, Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Savage, Clemence (Carter 79), Lazaridis, Morrison (Devlin 88), Dugarry (Horsfield 81), Damien Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Bennett, John.

Booked: Dugarry, Upson.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher (Owen 63), Hyypia, Traore, Hamann, Cheyrou (Mellor 84), Riise, Murphy, Baros, Heskey, Diao.
Subs Not Used: Babbel, Arphexad, Biscan.

Booked: Diao.

Attendance: 29,449.

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucestershire).