Birmingham City took a huge step towards Premier League survival when it beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Villa Park in a game that saw its city rivals reduced to nine men on Monday.
Villa striker Dion Dublin was sent off for butting Birmingham midfielder Robbie Savage early in the second half and Icelandic midfielder Joey Gudjohnsson followed him 10 minutes from the end.
In between, goals by Stan Lazaridis and Geoff Horsfield won it for Birmingham, who are now six points clear of the relegation zone.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The much-welcomed league double over their arch rivals left Birmingham in 16th place on 32 points, only three behind Villa, and on course to avoid an immediate return to the first division after their first top-flight season in 16 years.
In a poor first half, Birmingham striker Clinton Morrison headed wide after 20 minutes from a Damien Johnson cross and a minute later at the other end Villa's Darius Vassell sidefooted over the bar.
When the teams met in September, Villa's Finnish goalkeeper Peter Enckelman had a nightmare when he allowed a throw from defender Olof Mellberg to slip under his foot and into the net as Birmingham won it 3-0.
But he pulled off a terrific save five minutes before the break on Monday to tip over a scorching long shot by Frenchman Christophe Dugarry.
The game, always simmering, boiled over five minutes into the second half.
Dublin caught Robbie Savage with a late tackle and after the two players exchanged words, the Villa striker lost it completely and butted his opponent in the face.
He was immediately shown the red card, cranking up the atmosphere to an even more intense level.
Birmingham struggled to make their numerical advantage tell until the 74th minute, when Johnson whipped in a tempting cross from the right. Horsfield went for it, and missed it, the ball bouncing on to Lazaridis who slid in to head his first goal in two years.
Three minutes later Horsfield reacted sharply to a weak back header by Jlloyd Samuel and got his toe to the ball just as Enckelman tried to gather it, going on to score into an empty net.
Villa's misery was completed 10 minutes from time when Icelandic midfielder Gudjohnsson was shown a second yellow for a horrific two-footed lunge.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely