Birmingham 4 Blackburn 1
Birmingham are relegated to the championship after they tried to perform the great escape but wins for Reading & Fulham meant that what ever they had done in this football match it wouldn’t have mattered but it was a fine win all the same.But for Blackburn that intertoto cup place up for grabs slipped away but they must be kicking themselves as Aston Villa could only muster a draw.But i have to ask Do you think the Birmingham board deserved to get all that abuse? or do the fans nowadays forget who took them there in the first place?what do you think?
The game kick off with high tension & the Birmingham players know there fate was in there hands & they had to do better then Fulham & Reading but it didn’t start well as James McFadden was ruled out with a injury so had to be replace with Zarate.It was him who had the first chance of this boring first half as he played a neat one-two with Kapo only to see his shot drift wide.Then it was Kapo himself who had a chance but he glanced his header tamely wide from a Larsson cross.
The fans were getting nervous & when the news came through that Reading had taken the lead against Derby it filtered through to the players & they started to look very down.But all was not lost as they were handed a gift & a unexpected route to safety when Blackburn’s goalkeeper Friedel who usually is very reliable let a long range shot from Murphy just slip past his reach & into the net to score.This gave Birmingham some hope & were waiting to see if Derby could equalise which would give them a tremendous chance.
Cardiff 0 Portsmouth 1
Portsmouth won there first Fa cup since 1939 in this not very exciting game of football but all credit to Cardiff who gave it there all to try & win there first cup since 1927 & be the first team from outside the top flight to win since 1980.Portsmouth had Pedro Mendes starting & Cardiff left Robbie Fowler out of the squad all together but it did look like they could have done with him sometimes.
After the national anthems were sung & the coin toss the game started.It was Cardiff who settled the best they took the game to Portsmouth & started to create some chances.The ever lively Joe Ledley who must be a target for premiership sides played in Paul Parry after only 12 minutes but David James who was back in the side today made a crucial block to denie him.The in the 22nd minuted we saw the miss of season at the new wembley.
It was Kanu who somehow got the ball of Muntari skipped past a defender them rounded the keeper Enckelman only to place his shot against the bottom of the post & out.Live from the pitch he should have scored it was probably easier but the tv replays showed it was harder to hit the post!!.Cardiff kept pressing & the football was that controlled & not many chances but in the 37th minute Kanu made amends.
Utaka had the football down the right hand side ran to the defence stopped the dummied the defender created a yard & whipped in a cross straight at Enckelman but instead of getting a hand to it he palmed it up into the air & there was Kanu to tap the ball into the net & score.Cardiff nearly got back into the game straight away when Parry got clear down the left & put in a great cross but Kevin McNaughton was stretching all the time & couldn’t make anything of it.
They also had a goal ruled out in injury time of the first half when a corner came in & there was panic in the Portsmouth defence when James came to claim it & didn’t get hold of it & as he went for it again he palmed it straight onto Loovens arm who then controlled it & made a superb lob into the net over Glen Johnson’s head but the ref ruled the goal out for hand ball & that was the end of the half. Harry Redknapp
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Derby 0 Reading 4
Reading won this football match comfortably but in the end it wasn’t enough to keep them up in the premiership & sending them down to the championship.As for Derby they now equal a record set buy Loughborough Athletic 108 years ago where they only won one match all season long.
Reading started the match very brightly know they had to get that early goal so teams around them knew about it & had a fight on there hands to stay up.Leroy Lita started the game with some purpose he twice ran through the Derby defence only to be denied by the Derby keeper Carroll.Then Matejovsky had a shot which he could only drag well wide of the goal.Then the miracle happened what all Reading fans have bin waiting for they scored!!!.
It was Dave Kitson who created it he got the football to Harper who was sitting on the edge of the penalty area he cut in & passed a defender & smashed in a shot that went straight into the top left hand corner of the goal.The Reading players knew just how important that goal was & it had bin 567 minutes since the last one.The fans knew that this will put pressure on the other teams to do the same but at this point Reading was safe.
The first half continued in much the same vain Reading where pushing for more goals & Derby where just as bad as they have bin all season . But they did get a chance to equalise when David Jones managed to get free & send in a low shot which Hahnemann got down to parry it away.The with half time approaching it was Carroll who kept the score the same as once again he denied Lita for the third time in the match & to give the other teams hope who where still fighting there cause. Steve Coppell
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Zenit St Petersburg 2 Rangers 0
Zenit St Petersburg won there first ever European trophy when they beat Rangers in the Uefa cup final which was played at Old Trafford.They thoroughly deserved there win as they played the better football & looked like the more attacking team.Rangers didn’t look to good but i think being made to play that many games in the spl would give any opposition to Rangers the upper hand & the Scottish Fa need to look at this.
The game started with Rangers looking to hold Zenit as they had 2 holding midfielders & you could see from the off set they were going to defend.Zenit came out attacking & with Arshavin back from suspension he gave them there first chance.The Rangers midfield weren’t doing very well & Hemdani got caught in possession Arshavin fired in a shot but it hit the side netting & that was only after 4 minutes.But as Rangers were only letting Zenit get in long range shots it was Zenit who was also giving as good as they were getting.
With this happening Rangers were relying on counter attacking football while Zenit had a Anyukov volley & a Tymoschuk shot saved by there keeper Alexander.It was Ferguson who had Rangers first good chance Darcheville manged his way into the penalty box passed the ball to Ferguson but Radek made a excellent challenge to denie him a goal.Rangers were then playing better but when Steven Davis sent over a great cross only to see Whittaker miss his chance at the back post when he was unmarked they started to wonder.
Than Rangers had a scare when Zenit got to the by line & sent over a cross only for the football to strike Kirk Broadfoot in the penalty box & some of the Zenit player were up for a penalty but the ref said no & blew his whistle for half time with Zenit looking the more dangerous & Rangers wondering how can they win this game. Walter Smith Interview
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Tottenham 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool secure 4th spot & one people will say they should have done better in this end of season game which wasn’t really that exciting & which left Tottenham in mid table & a poor season for them.But can look forward to next season & some new additions to the football club & maybe get into Europe but a long way from challenging the top 4. Rafa Benitez
The first half started poor with both teams not really going for it & Liverpool had most of the possession but Tottenham defended even better.Voronin who made the side today had the first shot but it was very weak & Carny saved easily.A few minutes later it was Babel who had the chance but his side footed shot from the edge of the penalty area was also very weak.
Dimitar Berbatov had Tottenham’s first chance when he had a close range header from a Jamie O’Hara cross but he put the header on target but it was saved by Riena.Even though both teams triedfor a goal with Liverpool with all the football & Tottenham defending that was all that happened really & to say in was end of season was a understatement.
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