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Championship
Aug 15, 2015 at 12.30pm UK
 
Birmingham logo

2-2

Keane (51'), Taylor (81')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Toral (10'), Caddis (63' pen.)

Live Commentary: Burnley 2-2 Birmingham City - as it happened

Relive the 2-2 draw between Burnley and Birmingham City in the Championship.
2

Burnley's first home game of the season was against a Birmingham City side chasing their third win in a row on Saturday lunchtime.

Sean Dyche's Clarets were searching for their first victory of 2015-16, but had to settle for a point at Turf Moor.

Read how an entertaining four-goal game unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.


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Heeellllo hello! This week's 12.30pm kickoff in the Championship again involves Burnley as they host Birmingham City at Turf Moor. There's plenty to get through between now and kickoff, so let's get right to it...

BURNLEY XI: Heaton; Darikwa, Duff, Keane, Mee; Boyd, Arfield, Jones, Kightly; Vossen, Jutkiewicz
Subs: Gilks, Ward, Sordell, Vokes, Taylor, Jackson, Anderson

Sean Dyche goes with the same XI that started last weekend's opener at Leeds United. Sam Vokes would have been hoping for a start after scoring the Clarets' late equaliser at Elland Road, but Dyche sticks with Jelle Vossen and Lukas Jutkiewicz in attack.

BIRMINGHAM XI: Kuszczak; Caddis, Spector, Morrison, Grounds; Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Cotterill, Toral; Gray, Donaldson
Subs: Legzdins, Eardley, Robinson, Thomas, Maghoma, Shinnie, Davis

Like Dyche, Gary Rowett names the same side that started the Blues' first league game of the season against Reading. Rowett made eight changes for the midweek League Cup tie against Bristol Rovers, but reverts back to his first-choice XI for the trip to Turf Moor.



As mentioned above, Birmingham are going for three wins in a row today after recording back-to-back 2-1 wins over Reading and Bristol Rovers in the league and Capital One Cup respectively. Today's game will be a sterner test than those two games and Burnley start the game as favourites, despite drawing at Leeds and then losing to Port Vale in the Cup.

Burnley's defeat at Port Vale was one of several shocks in the first round of the League Cup in midweek. Dyche made just four changes for the match against the League One side and had the likes of Vokes, Vossen, George Boyd and Michael Kightly in from the start. He'll be looking for a big response today in what is Burnley's first home game of the season.

Luckily we don't have to endure Birmimgham's ghastly away kit today. They're in their traditional blue colours.


H2H: Burnley have won just two of their last nine home matches against the Blues, but one of those victories was their last meeting at Turf Moor when Danny Ings scored twice in a 3-0 win en route to Burnley's promotion in 2014.

Birmingham have gone 12 games without keeping a clean sheet against Burnley, but just look at how much the Blues have improved since Rowett came in last year.


By the way, if you fancy following the lunchtime game in the Premier League as well, open this link in a new tab to join my colleague Barney Corkhill.

Burnley will be glad to return home today, but they haven't scored in any of their last four league games at Turf Moor. If they fail to break down Birmingham, it will be the first time in their history they have gone five home league home without scoring. The longer they go without scoring, the more nervy they are likely to get when a chance presents itself.

PREDICTION: Righty ho, five minutes until kickoff at Turf Moor. I fancy this game to be a 2-0 home win and you can hear more of my thoughts from the Sports Mole Sofa earlier this week below.


One man who can't play for the home side today is Rouwen Hennings. The German striker joined the Clarets yesterday, but he hasn't received international clearance yet. He could feature at Ipswich Town on Tuesday, though.

Birmingham were supposed to travel to Brentford in midweek, but the Bees have been allowed to postpone the match to relay their pitch, which was cutting up badly after just one game of the new season.

Here come the two sides out of the tunnel. The sun has broken through the clouds in Lancashire and the pitch at Turf Moor, unlike at Brentford, looks lovely.

KICKOFF! Today's referee David Coote gets us underway, with Burnley starting the match.

Right-back Tendayi Darikwa is making his home debut for the Clarets and he's just got a warm round of applause from the home supporters for nicking the ball away from Jon Toral and coolly redistributing the ball.

Caddis's ball down the right bobbles harmlessly out of play. The ball has barely been in either final third so far as the two sides feel each other out in the middle.

PENALTY APPEAL! Shouts for a penalty from the home fans as Mee's floated cross towards Jutkiewicz is plucked out of the sky by Kuszczak. The striker probably wouldn't have got to it, but Spector clumsily bundled over his man and that could have easily been given.

One thing Birmingham will want to do today is create more shooting opportunties for the likes of Clayton Donaldson. In the 2-1 win over Reading, the Blues mustered a league-low five attempts on goal, including blocked shots.

This time Coote does blow for a foul after Morrison tangled with Jutkiewicz on the edge of the box. Kightly takes it and it's a comfortable save for Kuszczak.

GOAL! BURNLEY 0-1 BIRMINGHAM (JON TORAL)

The Blues were clinical last week and they're doing it again at Turf Moor. Kuszczak's long kick is nodded into the path of Toral from Donaldson and the on-loan Arsenal man makes it two goals in two league games for the Blues with a crisp low volley with his left foot. Fine finish.

Completely out of the blue, that. Burnley had had 70% possession in the opening 10 minutes.


CHANCES! A couple of openings for Burnley to equalise as both Boyd and Jutkiewicz warm the palms of Kuszczak with efforts that were fairly comfortable for the former Man United keeper.

A corner for the home side, but Jones's inswinger is headed clear by Toral, who is affecting the game at both ends of the pitch.

This time it's Birmingham with a corner that Cotterill delivers. It's headed more up, than away and Gray is hanging around on the edge of the box. He takes on a first-time volley and can't get it anywhere near the target.



Darikwa's inventive outside-of-the-boot cross is headed towards Jutkiewicz until Kuszczak pounces forward and punches the ball away from danger.

Burnley continuing to see plenty of the ball, but they just can't break the visitors down. It was outlined before the match how much Birmingham have improved defensively under Rowett and you can see that on show today.

There's been several stray passes from the home side and the crowd is getting a bit restless at Turf Moor. Remember, they haven't scored once in their last four home league games.

Donaldson with some good hold-up play again, chesting it down for Cotterill, whose ambitious effort from 30 yards is high and wide. Birmingham aren't seeing loads of the ball, but they look good when they do have it.

Kightly seemed to clearly foul Caddis in the box, but Coote waved play on and the ball was fed back to Mee. His deep cross reached Jutkiewicz, but the striker's acrobatic volley was instantly blocked.

OFF THE POST! Birmingham go so close to a second as Cotterill comes in from the right and curls a left-footed effort against the post with Heaton beaten. Unlucky.

Incidentally, Cotterill was a standout player for the Blues last term and picked up where he left off by scoring the Championship's first free-kick goal of the season last week against Reading.

SAVE! Darikwa's cross looks like it's behind the play, but Kightly has held his run and nods the ball towards Jutkiewicz. He does well to turn the ball goalwards on the volley, but his effort is too close to Kuszczak, who makes another easy save.

SAVE! What a hit this is from Gleeson! A bouncing ball reaches the Birmingham midfielder and he can't turn down the tempter from at least 30 yards. His dipping volley is on target and has to be tipped over by Heaton.

That's Birmingham's fifth shot of the game, so they've already equalled their total from last week. This has been some first-half performance from Rowett's charges.



BOOKING! The easiest booking Coote will give all season as Vossen slides in and wipes out Cotterill, who was looking to start a counter-attack.

Two minutes of added time at the end of the first half. Burnley don't deserve to be level, but can they grab an equaliser before the break?

HALF-TIME: BURNLEY 0-1 BIRMINGHAM

It's Birmingham who deservedly lead at the break then. Toral's snapshot from 20 yards caught out the hosts and they've never really recovered since.



If you're only just joining us here on SM and want a quick recap of the opening half, click here for our half-time report.

In the early Premier League game, it's also 1-0 to the visitors as Everton lead Southampton thanks to Romelu Lukaku's header. Unfortunately I've put him on the bench in fantasy football this week :(

Will Dyche make a half-time change at Turf Moor? Vokes made an impact off the bench last week and Jutkiewicz and Vossen have both struggled so far against the Blues' backline.

Make that 2-0 to Everton as Lukaku scores his and the Toffees' second. *starts crying*

STAT: When leading at half time last season, Birmingham went on to lose just one of 16 games. Big ask for Burnley to turn this around.

KICKOFF! The visitors get us back underway. No changes from either manager at the break.

Looking at the first-half stats, you'd think that Birmingham were the better side - they had more possession (59%) and more shots on target (four to Birmingham's two), but that just wasn't the case. A perfect away performance from the visitors so far.

CLOSE! Birmingham have started the second half well and go close to a second as Kieftenbeld's shot goes just wide.

GOAL! BURNLEY 1-1 BIRMINGHAM (MICHAEL KEANE)

Rowett won't like this one bit. First, Cotterill gives away a cheap free kick on the right and then Birmingham defend the set piece poorly. Kightly's cross is flicked on by Vossen at the near post before reaching an unmarked Keane at the back stick to head home from a couple of yards.

SAVE! Birmingham look to restore their lead quickly as Donaldson gets in behind and fires a shot across goal that Heaton keeps out. Moments earlier, Cotterill went down in the box, but Coote didn't think that there was enough contact.

SHOT! Careless header straight to Arfield from Kieftenbeld and the Burnley man takes aim straight away, fizzing a swerving effort close, but not on target.

The momentum has completely switched at Turf Moor. Burnley are all over Birmingham at the moment and the crowd are right behind them as Keane heads over from a Jones corner. Birmingham just need to slow things down a bit.

A pair of excellent crosses from either wing by Cotterill and Gray, but neither finds a man in blue with the hour mark seconds away.



PENALTY TO BIRMINGHAM! Darikwa brings down Donaldson in the box.

GOAL! BURNLEY 1-2 BIRMINGHAM (PAUL CADDIS, PEN.)

Burnley aren't happy about it, but it's Birmingham who score the third of the match. The Blues broke well again and Toral laid it into Donaldson, who fell very softly as Darikwa crossed paths with his run. Each replay makes it look harsher and harsher on Burnley. Caddis stepped up and slammed the penalty down the middle.

BOOKING! Burnley left-back Mee goes into the book for clipping Cotterill's ankles.

If Birmingham hold out for victory, it will be the first time in seven years that they've won back-to-back league games at the start of a season.

BURNLEY SUB: No surprise here as Vossen comes off for Vokes. Can the Welshman have another big impact?

CLOSE! Birmingham left-back Grounds shows off some neat footwork in the box after being able to bring the ball down with his chest in the box. His shot is headed for the corner until Duff gets in the way, a crucial block.

He certainly appeared to have a good reason to argue


The Burnley crowd think that Birmingham's players are going down very easily and they're angry when play is stopped for Donaldson lying on the turf. However, it was a hefty collision with Heaton and the striker has to receive treatment.

CHANCE! Darikwa nutmegs Grounds down the Burnley right before sending a low cross all the way across the penalty area. Somehow it doesn't get a touch in the six-yard box and Birmingham survive.

BIRMINGHAM SUB: Rowett makes his first change, replacing opening goalscorer Toral with David Davis to shore up the midfield.

Dyche is angry on the touchline as Jutkiewicz goes down in the box. Morrison did seem to have hold of the striker's arm, but you never see penalties given for that sort of thing.

BOOKING! Jutkiewicz does win a free kick this time and Spector is booked for pulling back the strong striker.

BURNLEY SUB: Matty Taylor replaces Kightly and instantly lines up the free kick...

The former Portsmouth man's effort is straight into the wall. Just over 10 minutes left for Burnley to get something out of the game.

GOAL! BURNLEY 2-2 BIRMINGHAM (MATT TAYLOR)

He might not have beaten the wall with his first free kick, but Taylor shows off his dead-ball prowess by dipping a fantastic effort in off the underside of the crossbar. Superb free kick.

He might have made the wrong call with the penalty, but you have to credit Coote for his refereeing there. He initially played advantage before bringing play back because Burnley's cross came to nothing.

Burnley go close to moving in front for the first time as a cross from the left just beats Darikwa coming in at the back post. Will we get a winner?

SUBS! Both managers make a change, with Paul Robinson taking Cotterill's place for the visitors and Marvin Sordell replacing Jutkiewicz for Burnley.

BOOKING! Arfield into the book for stopping a Birmingham counter-attack with his arm after he slipped in the middle of the park.

A crowd of 12,430, including 806 travelling fans from Birmingham, are in Turf Moor today.



CHANCE! Taylor fires wide after Sordell couldn't quite get the ball out from under his feet in the box. Burnley looking the more likely to nick this.

BIRMINGHAM SUB: Jacques Maghome replaces Demarai Gray as FIVE minutes are added on. Plenty of time for a winner.

CLOSE! So close to a winner for Burnley as Taylor's corner is inadvertently flicked towards goal by Kiefenbeld. It grazes Duff's knee in the six-yard box but somehow goes through and out of play. Birmingham hanging on here.

Davis shoots wide for Birmingham and that should be that.

FULL-TIME: BURNLEY 2-2 BIRMINGHAM

Both sides maintain their unbeaten starts to the season and it's hard to say which manager will be happier. Rowett will feel that his side should have claimed three poitns, while Dyche will claim that the penalty should never have been given and that his side were the ones pushing for a winner.

We've got to dash off but make sure you click around on site for loads more live action on a busy Saturday in England and across Europe.

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Jon Toral of Birmingham looks to pass under pressure from Michael Hector of Reading during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Reading at St Andrews Stadium on August 8, 2015
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