Birmingham 2 - 1 Wolves: Late Kevin Phillips double leaves Wolves in deep trouble

Published on Sunday 7 February 2010 23:20

VETERAN striker Kevin Phillips came off the bench to earn a dramatic victory for Birmingham City with a two late goals against local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Kevin Doyle looked to have given Wolves manager Mick McCarthy the perfect present on his 51st birthday by breaking the deadlock shortly before half-time. It was a lead they looked like holding on to until 36-year-old Phillips replaced the injured Christian Benitez and struck twice in six minutes to leave the visitors in the bottom three and justify Birmingham manager Alex McLeish's decision to hold on to him in the transfer window.

His first goal came when he turned in Craig Gardner's header from a deep cross and Phillips sealed the comeback with a fine chest down and volley from Stephen Carr's cross.

"I think I showed I still have a bit left in me," said Phillips. "People write you off over 30 but I am 36 now and I think I showed I can still do a job. It is just nice to get on the pitch, I have not had much game time lately.

"It is a short career and I know I am not too far away from retiring. I want to play for as long as I possibly can at the highest level and moments like today make me want to play for longer."

McLeish heaped praise on his match winner. "Kevin will never lose that ability he has got in the box," said McLeish. "He might lose his teeth, he might go bald, and his legs will go at some stage, but he will always have that magnificent technique and touch of a top player.

"The morale of any player can be affected when they have been a first-choice player all their career and then find they are not playing every week. It has been difficult for me to keep walking by him in the corridor every day saying 'Keep your chin up'. But Kevin has been an exemplary professional."

For McCarthy the late reversal of fortune was hard to take, and Wolves are starting to look like a side who will continue to be very much involved in the battle to beat the drop.

He said: "I have not been in our dressing room before and seen the lads as disappointed as that after a game. You feel hard done by, and it is hard, but we've got a game on Wednesday against Spurs and that's the motivation we need. If we play like that in our remaining games, I don't think we can be written off."

While Birmingham had forced six corners in the opening 15 minutes of the game, it was Wolves who had looked the more comfortable side for much of the game and when Doyle put them ahead, they appeared well set for a much-needed victory.

There was an element of good fortune about the goal, with Matthew Jarvis' low centre hitting Roger Johnson, ricocheting onto a post and falling perfectly for the striker to convert the rebound for his sixth goal of the season.

Wolves were content to hit on the counter-attack with Doyle holding the ball up well in his role as a lone front man.

Birmingham, though, have based their impressive run of form this season on a never-say-die attitude and it was this spirit that was once again to stand them in good stead once Phillips made his decisive appearance.