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The Perfect Hat trick...
I've heard about them and I've seen them on Match of the day, Michael Owen scored one for Newcastle last year (and they could do with the same again a.s.a.p.!), but I've never seen one scored live... well maybe down at the Civil Service on a Sunday morning?
Birmingham City 4 - 1 Tottenham.
I don't want to take too much away from the overall Birmingham performance, but lets face it, Spurs were hardly at their best on Saturday and rumours of enforced changes and an imminent European fixture, had Blues fans talking of taking advantage days before the game.
Come Saturday 3pm (which makes a refreshing change in itself) Spurs were missing King, Woodgate, Lennon, Jenas and Keane.
Like Bear Grylls on safari we could smell the upset.
Birmingham were refreshed, but had their own players missing. Kapo's ingenuity and flair contained through a calf injury and Martin Taylor through suspension after the sending off against Arsenal last week.
Cue James McFadden and Mikael Forssell.
Since hitting 19 goals in a season for Birmingham in 2003/4, Forssell has had a torid time with injuries and at times his future as a player, let alone a Birmingham player, has been questioned.
Deep down Birmingham fans have harboured the desire to see him regain that same form, but for one reason or another, there always seemed to be an excuse from the manager.
Fitness, style of the team, Steve Bruce was always ready when asked about Forssell's lack of time on the pitch.
But Forssell will always be a classic out and out striker that thrives on the tit bits and skill of a ball played into the space he can run into.
In James Mcfadden, Alex Mcleish has brought in a player blessed with the footballing brain to do just this. Against Tottenham, his display was a performance as unselfish as any strike partner I've seen.
The 1st of the 'Perfect hat-trick' came in the 7th minute, early pressure resulted in a corner that found it's way to Mcfadden at the far post, rather than take his own chance at a packed goal mouth, Mcfadden chipped a delicate cross into the middle of the 6 yard box, met with deft header from Forssell, we had the opening goal of the match. 1-0.
With a Seb Larsson special evading the Tottenham wall and an ill placed Robinson 10 minutes into the 2nd half, it was clear to see Tottenham's revitalised team, were clearly missing their big players. 2-0.
Forssell's 2nd came 4 minutes later. This time with the right foot. With possession won in the middle of the park, Birmingham caught a napping Zakora in a great position to fluff his lines, heading the ball goal bound a hapless Robinson could only parry the ball wide of the goal mouth with Mcfadden and Forssell looming.
At that point it seemed Mcfadden would pick the ball up, turn and maybe go for goal himself, but with Forssell advancing at speed he choose to step aside. bang. 3-0.
With the match over as a contest, Forssells 3rd - this time with his left foot was merely the icing on the cake of a great afternoon.
Still determined to win the ball and push forward, Mcfadden out muscled Gunter in the centre, refusing to go down when he so easily could of. Instead, he powered forward, catching the run of Forssell with a perfectly weighted pass.
Although slightly scuffed the shot finished in exactly the place it was intended, in the far corner beyond Robinson with the left foot. 4-0.
A consolation goal from Jenas after Ridgewells mandatory cock up completed the scoring.
But lets get back to the hat-trick. Simple, clinical, but also rare.
It's been 27 years since a Birmingham player scored a hat trick in the top flight. We've had a few since, but we've only had 5 seasons in the top flight since getting relegated in the mid 80's.
So I'll savour the 'Perfect Hat-trick' as I'm sure I won't see one again for a while. But then again, we have Newcastle at home on the 17th March, with Owen and Forssell on the pitch maybe I won't have to wait?
Birmingham City 4 - 1 Tottenham.
I don't want to take too much away from the overall Birmingham performance, but lets face it, Spurs were hardly at their best on Saturday and rumours of enforced changes and an imminent European fixture, had Blues fans talking of taking advantage days before the game.
Come Saturday 3pm (which makes a refreshing change in itself) Spurs were missing King, Woodgate, Lennon, Jenas and Keane.
Like Bear Grylls on safari we could smell the upset.
Birmingham were refreshed, but had their own players missing. Kapo's ingenuity and flair contained through a calf injury and Martin Taylor through suspension after the sending off against Arsenal last week.
Cue James McFadden and Mikael Forssell.
Since hitting 19 goals in a season for Birmingham in 2003/4, Forssell has had a torid time with injuries and at times his future as a player, let alone a Birmingham player, has been questioned.
Deep down Birmingham fans have harboured the desire to see him regain that same form, but for one reason or another, there always seemed to be an excuse from the manager.
Fitness, style of the team, Steve Bruce was always ready when asked about Forssell's lack of time on the pitch.
But Forssell will always be a classic out and out striker that thrives on the tit bits and skill of a ball played into the space he can run into.
In James Mcfadden, Alex Mcleish has brought in a player blessed with the footballing brain to do just this. Against Tottenham, his display was a performance as unselfish as any strike partner I've seen.
The 1st of the 'Perfect hat-trick' came in the 7th minute, early pressure resulted in a corner that found it's way to Mcfadden at the far post, rather than take his own chance at a packed goal mouth, Mcfadden chipped a delicate cross into the middle of the 6 yard box, met with deft header from Forssell, we had the opening goal of the match. 1-0.
With a Seb Larsson special evading the Tottenham wall and an ill placed Robinson 10 minutes into the 2nd half, it was clear to see Tottenham's revitalised team, were clearly missing their big players. 2-0.
Forssell's 2nd came 4 minutes later. This time with the right foot. With possession won in the middle of the park, Birmingham caught a napping Zakora in a great position to fluff his lines, heading the ball goal bound a hapless Robinson could only parry the ball wide of the goal mouth with Mcfadden and Forssell looming.
At that point it seemed Mcfadden would pick the ball up, turn and maybe go for goal himself, but with Forssell advancing at speed he choose to step aside. bang. 3-0.
With the match over as a contest, Forssells 3rd - this time with his left foot was merely the icing on the cake of a great afternoon.
Still determined to win the ball and push forward, Mcfadden out muscled Gunter in the centre, refusing to go down when he so easily could of. Instead, he powered forward, catching the run of Forssell with a perfectly weighted pass.
Although slightly scuffed the shot finished in exactly the place it was intended, in the far corner beyond Robinson with the left foot. 4-0.
A consolation goal from Jenas after Ridgewells mandatory cock up completed the scoring.
But lets get back to the hat-trick. Simple, clinical, but also rare.
It's been 27 years since a Birmingham player scored a hat trick in the top flight. We've had a few since, but we've only had 5 seasons in the top flight since getting relegated in the mid 80's.
So I'll savour the 'Perfect Hat-trick' as I'm sure I won't see one again for a while. But then again, we have Newcastle at home on the 17th March, with Owen and Forssell on the pitch maybe I won't have to wait?
Tags: birmingham, forssell, hat-trick, perfect, tottenham
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