Birmingham City vs Liverpool
Match pulse
Who won: Liverpool 3-0
Liverpool beat Birmingham City 3-0 on Saturday, May 8, 2004 at St Andrews Stadium. Goals for Liverpool: Michael Owen (29'), Emile Heskey (51') and Steven Gerrard (86').
Play by play
- 90'
FULL-TIME Liverpool are firm favourites for fourth spot now. Aston Villa's poor goal difference puts them out of the equation, and Newcastle must win their two games in hand to draw level with the Reds ahead of the teams' final-day showdown
- 90'
FULL-TIME That's about as convincing as Liverpool have been all season. Two fine goals gave them a cushion, and after Cunningham's sending-off it was a cakewalk
- 90'
Kewell hits a perfect ball for Owen with the outside of his left boot, but the striker spurns teh chance of a fourth by curling his shot wide with just Bennett to beat
- 89'
Birmingham lift the crowd by stringing a few passes together, but Morrison can't get on the end of Forssell's backheel
- 88'
Gerrard looks for Kewell with a bent 50-yard pass, but it's slightly overhit and Bennett claims
- 86'
GOAL! No mistake this time though. The tireless Gerrard beats Johnson to Murphy's long ball and side-foots perfectly beyond Bennett
- 85'
Lazaridis' kick is headed away and Liverpool have a chance to break, but Gerrard's pass is wayward for once
- 85'
Lazaridis charges down the other end and wins a corner for his side off Finnan...
- 84'
Heskey's pass gives Kewell the run of the Blues half. He cuts inside and bangs one with his left-foot, but it slices wide of goal
- 83'
Rare sortie into the Reds half for Birmingham, but Hughes has no-one to pass to on the left and the ball breaks back to Dudek
- 81'
Morrison all the way back on the edge of his own box helping out the defence - it's the only way he can get a touch at the moment
- 80'
It's a stroll for Liverpool, but they'll want more goals - goal difference could yet play a part in the race for the Champions League spot
- 78'
Liverpool are camped in Birmingham's half, and Tebily invites yet more pressure by miscuing his clearance into the stand
- 76'
Owen, by contrast, has all the room he wants. Gerrard lays the ball on a plate, and Owen takes it round the keeper but loses control. Lazaridis nips in to clear
- 75'
Morrison and Forssell have a thankless task now, but they're still giving it everything
- 74'
It's shooting practice for Liverpool at the moment. Birmingham stand off Gerrard, whose 25-yard curler clips the top of Bennett's net
- 73'
There are gaping holes in the Birmingham defence, and that should have been three. Owen gets to the byline and squares for Heskey, but this time his near-post strike is off target
- 72'
Liverpool get themselves a corner, but Gerrard's inswinging kick is too close to the keeper
- 71'
Not much happening on the pitch, so the Birmingham fans amuse themselves with a chorus of anti-Aston Villa songs
- 69'
Loud cheers are Birmingham get a decision from ref Dunn. It's a free-kick 40 yards out, but Dudek claims Lazaridis' average delivery
- 69'
Space opens up for Hamann, who tries a potshot with his weaker left foot. It doesn't trouble the keeper
- 68'
Cisse flies in on Kewell and gets nowhere near the ball. It's a yellow card for the substitute
- 67'
Bruce is trying to reorganise his side from the touchline, but Birmingham look in disarray
- 65'
Murphy stands over the resulting free-kick, but it's Riise who hits it. It's a poor one, though
- 64'
OFF! Gerrard breaks up the other end and beats Cunningham to a loose ball. The Reds skipper is bearing down on goal, until Cunnigham pulls his shirt and trips him up for good measure. Out comes the red card, into an early bath goes Cunningham
Leaders
More from this season series: LIV leads series 2-1-1
Man United22-6-91
Chelsea23-7-71Final
Everton9-12-161
Bolton14-11-122Final
Fulham13-10-14
Arsenal25-12-0Postponed
Leeds8-9-203
Charlton13-11-133Final
Leicester6-15-163
Portsmouth11-9-171Final
Boro13-9-152
Man City8-14-151Final
Newcastle13-15-8
Wolves7-12-18Postponed
Southampton12-10-141
Aston Villa15-11-111Final
Spurs12-6-191
Blackburn12-7-180Final

