Birmingham 2-1 Doncaster: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 20:00 10/12/11 By MirrorFootball
Marlon King’s double capped a battling Birmingham fightback.
But Doncaster were the architects of their own downfall.
Rovers, surprise 1-0 winners over leaders Southampton last week, had taken the lead through Marc-Antoine Fortune just after half-time.
Composure in defence was needed, but just after the hour a calamitous defensive mix-up involving Rovers keeper Carl Ikeme and Herita Ilunga allowed Chris Burke to pinch the ball and feed King, who equalised from 12 yards.
Victory ended a four-match winless sequence for promotion-chasing Blues in all competitions — all away from home — and ensured manager Chris Hughton will celebrate his 53rd birthday in style today.
He said: “I thought we deserved the win. I know we were chasing the game at the end but I thought the performance saw us trying to win and creating chances.
“When you go behind against the run of play it is worrying, but fortunately I’ve a group of lads who wanted a victory.”
Hughton’s side started brightly, but the clearest opening of the first quarter went Rovers’ way.
James Coppinger first fired straight at Boaz Myhill before a mix-up presented Simon Gillett with a chance from the edge of the area which he could only drag wide.
The hosts saw loud penalty appeals waved away by referee Nigel Miller, claiming David Murphy’s right-footed volley struck the hand of Gillett just before the half-hour mark.
Chris Wood and Billy Sharp sent headers wide at either end before Jonathan Spector’s last-ditch tackle superbly denied Fortune, who appeared clean through.
The deadlock was broken in the 50th minute when Fortune received a pass from Sharp and fired low past Myhill.
After the sloppy equaliser, Blues pressed on and the winner came just two minutes from time as Burke again set up King who slotted past Ikeme.
“We were unfortunate,” said Rovers boss Dean Saunders. “We made a defensive mistake to allow them to get back into the game. Against Southampton we didn’t give them anything but on this occasion we made one mistake. But there were plenty of positives and I
am pleased how the team is looking.”
