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| Sunday, May 12, 2002 16:30 EST |
Birmingham advances to top flight in penalty shootout
[Associated Press]
CARDIFF -- Birmingham City returned to the
top flight of English football for the first time in 16 years by
beating Norwich City 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Sunday as the
first division playoff final finished 1-1 after extra time.
Darren Carter, an 18-year-old boyhood Birmingham fan in his
first professional season, struck the winning spot kick to send
the Blues into the lucrative Premier League after Norwich's Phil
Mulryne and Daryl Sutch missed their penalties.
While Norwich cursed its luck, Birmingham -- which had
fallen at the playoff hurdle in each of the last three seasons
-- celebrated wildly at the Millennium Stadium.
The dramatic finale completed Birmingham's fairytale season,
just months after it was struggling to finish in the top six
playoff positions during the regular season.
The game was goalless after 90 minutes but Norwich got the
perfect start in the first minute of extra time when striker
Iwan Roberts, a late substitute in normal time, rose to head
home a cross from former Manchester United reserve Alex Notman.
But Birmingham hit back after 102 minutes when Geoff
Horsfield stooped low to head a Jeff Kenna knock-back past
Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green.
Both clubs had chances to win the game in normal time.
Birmingham striker Stern John screwed his low shot wide when
through on goal after 30 minutes.
Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green then made a brilliant
one-handed save to push away a close-range effort from Horsfield
after 45 minutes.
The second half of normal time was full of sparring and cut
and thrust before Frenchman Olivier Tebily, formerly of Celtic,
scooped a shot over the bar from just six metres.
The near misses continued in extra time, as Mulryne saw his
free kick well saved by Vaesen and Michael Johnson directed a
last-gasp header onto the Norwich post.
It was left to a tense shootout to decide who would be
promoted alongside first division champions Manchester City and
runners-up West Bromwich Albion.
After Roberts and John had converted for Norwich and
Birmingham respectively, former Manchester United midfielder
Mulryne saw his spot kick saved by Dutchman Vaesen.
Sutch placed his low penalty wide of the mark, while Paul
Devlin and Stan Lazaridis kept their cool for Birmingham to
leave them in the driving seat.
Although Clint Easton scored as Norwich clung on, Carter
drove his left-footed kick past Green's outstretched left hand.
The victory handsomely made up for Birmingham's defeat on
penalties to Liverpool in the League Cup final at the Milennium
Stadium last season.
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