Birmingham delight as Elliott sinks Wolves

Updated January 19, 2012 09:45:50

Premier League side Wolves were sent crashing out of the FA Cup on Thursday morning, losing 1-0 to midlands rivals Birmingham in a hard-fought third round replay at Molineux.

Birmingham, relegated to the Championship last season, advanced to a fourth round trip to Sheffield United after Wade Elliott scrambled in a 74th-minute winner at the second attempt.

The game had appeared destined for extra-time until Elliott's decisive strike, with neither side able to establish dominance.

But Wolves were made to pay the price when their defence failed to clear a cross and man-of-the-match Elliott pounced.

The Birmingham midfielder's first effort hit the post but when David Murphy steered a shot back towards goal, Elliott was on hand to help the ball into the net past helpless Wolves keeper Dorus De Vries.

De Vries was one of 10 changes Wolves manager Mick McCarthy had made from the side which held Premier League pace-setters Tottenham to a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane last weekend.

Birmingham goal hero Elliott said he hoped the victory would give the Blues confidence as they push for a swift return to the Premier League.

"If we can come to a side like Wolves and get a result that gives us the confidence to take into our league campaign and the belief that we can go out and get results anywhere," Elliott said.

"It's a tough place to come and they're a strong side. But I don't think we nicked it, I thought we moved the ball well and it felt like a deserved win. It's always nice to get through in the Cup."

In the night's other replay, non-league Wrexham's hopes of a fairytale upset against Championship side Brighton were dashed in a penalty shoot-out.

The Welsh club had taken the lead with a sublime curling effort from player-manager Andy Morrell on 23 minutes.

But Brighton hit back 13 minutes from time through Ashley Barnes to force extra-time at the Racecourse Ground.

Neither side could conjure a breakthrough in the extra 30 minutes, setting up a penalty shoot-out. The decisive moment came with Wrexham's first penalty, where Dean Keates saw his effort saved by Peter Brezovan.

With Brighton slotting its next four penalties it was left to Craig Mackail-Smith to apply the coup de grace, hammering home his spot-kick to give the Seagulls a dream fourth round tie with Newcastle.

AFP

Tags: english-premier, english-lower, soccer, sport, england

First posted January 19, 2012 09:21:50

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Birmingham boss McLeish resigns by email

Updated June 13, 2011 08:31:00

Alex McLeish resigned as manager of Birmingham City on Sunday to round off a notable season where the club won their first trophy for 48 years but were then relegated from the Premier League.

"Acting chairman Peter Pannu received an e-mail resignation from McLeish earlier today while away on business in Amsterdam," the club said in a statement on their website.

McLeish, a former central defender who served Aberdeen and Scotland for many years, established his managerial reputation at Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers before taking over as Scotland manager in January 2007.

It proved a short-lived appointment as he moved south to replace Steve Bruce at Birmingham in November of that year.

Birmingham were relegated at the end of his first season but he brought them immediately back up for the 2009/10 Premier League campaign where they finished ninth, their highest position for more than half a century.

This year they shocked Arsenal in the League Cup final but the success was followed by dramatic decline in their league form that ended with their relegation after a last-day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

British media had earlier linked McLeish with a potentially controversial move across the city to take over the vacant Aston Villa manager's job following the resignation of Gerard Houllier through ill health and local bookmakers immediately made McLeish an odds-on favourite for that role following Birmingham's announcement.

McLeish was not the only managerial casualty on Sunday as Nottingham Forest, who missed out on promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs for the second successive season, sacked manager Billy Davies after two-and-a-half years in the job.

- Reuters

Tags: sport, football, english-premier-league, england

First posted June 13, 2011 08:07:00

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