October 21 2008

Crystal Palace

Birmingham cruelly grabbed an injury time winner to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at St Andrews.

Striker Garry O'Connor netted in the fourth minute of stoppage time to deny Palace a precious point and send his side top of the Championship.

Birmingham started the encounter in confident fashion as Sebastian Larsson attempted a long range effort from 30 yards then Lee Carsley fired over from a similar distance.

The hosts upped the tempo and almost took the lead on 22 minutes after a shot from Scotland striker O'Connor smacked against the post following a slick City move.

Palace soaked up all the pressure and threatened on the counter attack but O'Connor was denied again by the woodwork when he hit a curling shot against the post in the 32nd minute.

Eagles stopper Julian Speroni ensure both sides went in at the break on level terms by keeping out Larsson's dangerous free-kick.

Birmingham carried on from where they left off in the first half with Cameron Jerome shooting off target and O'Connor forced Speroni into a save.

Speroni denied O'Connor again, this time from 30 yards out as the home side turned the screw.

Palace clawed their way back into the game with sub Shefki Kuqi denied a chance on goal from Stuart Parnaby's last-ditch tackle and Craig Beattie hit a curler just past the post.

And just when Palace thought they would be heading back to London with a draw, up popped O'Connor deep into injury time to slot home after Speroni parried Kevin Phillips' strike into his path.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Parnaby, Martin Taylor, Ridgewell, Queudrue, Larsson, Carsley, Agustien (Quashie 73), Jerome (Bent 68), Phillips, O'Connor.

Not Used: Doyle, Nafti, Wilson.

Palace: Speroni, Butterfield, Lawrence, Fonte, Hill, Ifill (Ertl 90), Derry, Carle (Danns 83), Watson, Moses (Kuqi 58), Beattie.

Not Used: Scannell, Oster.

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