BLACKBURN R.   2     BIRMINGHAM  1

          Jansen - 65, 90

                                   Purse - 88

At Ewood Park

26th December 2000

Att: 24,899

Lightning struck a second time for Blues at Ewood Park and as a result Trevor Francis was in no mood to dispense any festive cheer.

In the corresponding fixture last season David Dunn's stoppage time piledriver settled the game. This time it was Matt Jansen who did the damage as the clock ticked over into the fourth extra minute.

It was not so much Jansen's unerring finish that left Francis shaken with anger, but the run-up to the decisive goal.

Damien Duff fell and twisted theatrically under the slightest tug from Jerry Gill and referee Trevor Jones bought it.

From the resulting free-kick near the left touchline Darren Purse got his head to the ball in a heaving penalty area, it kicked off Dele Adebola and into the path of Jansen.

The substitute, who had earlier scored a brilliant individual goal, despatched a first-timer with venom into the bottom corner.

Blues, having brought themselves level with two minutes to go through Purse, were aggrieved with a perceived lack of consistency on Jones's part.

For not long before the Cumbian referee waved play on when Duff went down and tried to win a penalty under Nicky Eaden's challenge.

There was just 20 seconds between Jansen's winner and the end of the match. ones blew up just before a centre circle skirmish and then, when the gaggle of Blues players realised it was all over, turned their wrath on him.

Seven of their number crowded him, Gill and Danny Sonner unleashing the biggest verbal tirade.

Francis marched over from the dugout, at first sight as if to calm his player, but even he showed no goodwilll in the season to be jolly.

He let Jones have a piece of his mind and then refused to attend the after-match media conference.

He got onto the team coach and sat staring through the window into space, his mood probably volcanic and his pride certainly hurting.

Francis and his management team had devised a game plan to negate Blackburn rather than take the points in devil may care manner.

Adebola made way for Geoff Horsfield and he was flanked on either side by Bryan Hughes and Stan Lazaridis.

Those two were flexible in their movement, dropping back to form a six across midfield when Blackburn threatened.

The effect was to stop Blackburn using their width, the dangerous Duff and Stig Inge Bjornebye on the left found it hard to get going.

With Blackburn's full backs muted, the gangling stopper Martin Taylor often found himself in a playmaking role with time, and Blues didn't mind that.

Constant disruputions because of injury - the first-half lasted 53 minutes, 40 seconds - also disrupted the flow, and Blackburn suffered.

Goalkeeper Brad Friedel had to be replaced after complaining of double vision after taking a whack.

Marcus Bent went close in the 12th minute, Blackburn counterattacking from a Blues corner, but it wasn't until the addition of Jansen did they find real inspiration.

Three minutes after his introduction he evaded a slide tackle by Gill and slalomed his way past Purse and Michael Johnson before beating Ian Bennett. Shades of Ricky Villa.

Blues tactics had been unadventurous, some might say negative. How would they, or could they, respond?

Their first real attempt on goal came in the 63rd minute, notwithstanding Hughes's early attempt which was illegal anyway because of the manner he held off marker Henning Berg.

Adebola, a welcome introduction just six minutes into the second-half, was menacing and Lazaridis began to wander with purpose when Blues realised the game was likely to slip away.

A cross by the Lazaridis was spilled by John Filan, unfortunately just behind the incoming Blues support.

Adebola almost teed up Horsfield and then the danger he presented from another run on goal forced the corner from which Blues equalised, Purse following up after Johnson's initial header had been blocked.

Blues might have even scored again in stoppage time themselves had not Marcelo and Lazaridis got in a bit of a muddle.

But they left their surroundings cursing after the late, late blow, struck by Jansen.

As Blackburn manager Graeme Souness reasonably pointed out, their anger was probably as much from frustration at losing in stoppage time rather than Jones's part in it.

With Fulham the opponents at Craven Cottage on Saturday it was a loss Blues could have done without.

Bolton Wanderers appear to be building a head of steam in second place and Blackburn - this their 10th win in 14 games - have leapfrogged over Blues into third.