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Stoke City vs Birmingham City. Premier League.

Bet365 Stadium.

Stoke City 0

    Birmingham City 1

    • C Jerome (50th minute)

    Jerome nets as Blues march on

    Image: Jerome: Scored winner

    A Cameron Jerome goal saw Birmingham beat Stoke at the Britannia Stadium and continue their fantastic run in the top flight.

    Jerome effort proves difference at Britannia

    A Cameron Jerome goal saw Birmingham beat Stoke at the Britannia Stadium and continue their fantastic run in the top flight. Stoke's Ryan Shawcross had the best opportunity to score in the first half but failed to connect from two yards from a corner. But Birmingham took the lead five minutes after the restart when Jerome slotted home from close range after Roger Johnson's header hit Shawcross and went into the striker's path. Blues goalkeeper Joe Hart then pulled off two fantastic saves to deny Matthew Etherington and Abdoulaye Faye as Birmingham held on to make it 11 games unbeaten in the top flight. This run equals the club's longest stretch without defeat in the top flight going back 101 years to 1908. Remarkably, on that occasion Birmingham were relegated, but there is surely no chance of that happening this time around after a run of seven wins and four draws to lift the Blues up to seventh. As the final whistle sounded there were boos and jeers from the Stoke fans, in contrast to those from the visiting supporters who chanted "We are unbeatable". Unlike Birmingham, who have 32 points from 20 matches, Stoke face certain relegation trouble unless they find a cure for their ills in front of goal. Boss Tony Pulis has made it clear that unless his side improve on a woeful tally of just 15 goals in 19 matches - failing to score in five of their last six - then a battle to beat the drop beckons. Customary effort aside on a bitterly-cold afternoon at the Britannia Stadium, there was little to commend in the opening 45 minutes.

    Shaved it

    Stoke certainly shaved it in terms of possession, but when neither goalkeeper had even a routine save to make, it gives some idea as to the relatively tame fodder that was served. The home side are wholly reliant on their set-pieces - Liam Lawrence and Etherington with corners delivered from the flanks, and the typically booming throws from Rory Delap. Lawrence and Delap were two of the five changes made by Pulis from the side beaten 2-0 at Manchester City on Boxing Day. Three were enforced with Glenn Whelan and Salif Diao suspended, and Andy Wilkinson out with an ankle injury sustained at Eastlands, whilst Mamady Sidibe and Danny Collins were benched. In replacing Sidibe, Pulis handed James Beattie his first start for six matches, yet the striker, who was involved in an infamous bust-up with his manager at the start of the month, barely saw the ball prior to his departure on the hour. The Blues certainly came under pressure early on as Lawrence and Delap peppered the area with corners and throws, only to meet a resilient Birmingham defence, the cornerstone of their current rise. Shawcross had the best of the first-half opportunities as he was allowed to run unopposed onto a Lawrence delivery into the near post, only to glance his header through the six-yard box, while he then missed a chance to score from two yards from another corner. There were also half chances for the Potters in the closing 15 minutes of the half, with Shawcross ballooning a header wide and Etherington putting a rising 20-yard half volley just over. As for Birmingham, they had to wait until the 30th minute to chalk up their first effort anywhere near Thomas Sorensen's goal, and even then Jerome dragged his shot hopelessly wide from just inside the area. There was one goalmouth scramble as Stoke finally came under a semblance of pressure and another dragged chance, this time for Sebastian Larsson, and that was as good as it got.
    Second half
    Mercifully, the second half had more action, and the goal for the Blues was out of the blue. Perhaps in keeping with what had gone before, it was hardly the sweetest of goals, not that that will bother Jerome. There was a touch of good fortune to it as a glancing header from Johnson to a James McFadden corner struck the unaware Shawcross sending the ball spinning into the six-yard box. From four yards out, and on the turn, Jerome managed to bundle the ball home off the body of Sorensen, who was unable to prevent it from crossing the line. The goal sparked Stoke into life, and but for goalkeeper Hart they would have been on level terms before the hour. Initially palming a Lawrence cross off the head of Tuncay, Hart quickly scrambled to his feet to brilliantly turn aside a rasping drive from Etherington. Moments later, and with Birmingham's defence creaking, Scott Dann then bravely threw his body in the way of a cracker from Dean Whitehead. From the resultant Lawrence corner, Hart showed tremendous agility to tip away off the line at full stretch a powerful 15-yard header from Stoke captain Faye. Soon afterwards, Stephen Carr appeared to pull down Robert Huth in the box but Stoke did not receive a penalty. Pulis then threw on Ricardo Fuller and Sidibe, but the Potters could not find a way through as their worrying goal drought continues.
    Stoke City Team Statistics Birmingham City
    0 Goals 1
    0 1st Half Goals 0
    2 Shots on Target 4
    6 Shots off Target 5
    5 Blocked Shots 5
    10 Corners 7
    16 Fouls 15
    1 Offsides 1
    2 Yellow Cards 3
    0 Red Cards 0
    64.8 Passing Success 61.7
    16 Tackles 20
    87.5 Tackles Success 75
    47.1 Possession 52.9
    52.6 Territorial Advantage 47.4

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