Birmingham City 1 Arsenal 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Mar 28 2010 by Colin Tattum, Sunday Mercury

THAT man again Kevin Phillips was Birmingham City's last-action hero by plundering a stoppage-time equaliser.

Phillips’ 250th career goal was a fitting reward for a valiant Blues performance that appeared to have counted for nothing.

Samir Nasri smashed Arsenal into an 81st minute lead but Phillips, coming off the substitutes’ bench was in the right place at the right time – as so often in his career.

The goal was a tad fortunate as an attempted clearance by Bacary Sagna from Craig Gardner’s cross reared onto his chest and up over Manuel Almunia.

The Arsenal keeper got both hands to it, but the ball deliciously drifted into the net to send St Andrew’s wild with delight.

And but for lady luck that didn’t go their way, Blues might even have been celebrating a famous victory.

Remarkably, Scott Dann could only divert the ball over the bar from a couple of yards as he rushed in to follow up a Roger Johnson attempt in the 61st minute.

The memories of the Eduardo-Martin Taylor incident loomed large, primarily because of both sets of supporters.