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Your support makes all the difference.In the footballing cliché it only takes a second to score a goal, but it will need more than yesterday's beautifully-executed volley to convince the neutral that Robbie Fowler has recaptured the form which made him the country's most effective finisher.
The way in which he slipped his marker and clipped home Ali Bernabia's precise pass to end Manchester City's poorest run of form under Kevin Keegan recalled the old glories which lit up Anfield in the 1990s. You would have needed a heart of steel to begrudge the way he ran over to the Kippax to drink in the applause for his first goal for the club. However, much else was a reminder of the shadow striker who between debilitating injuries caused Gérard Houllier to wonder why the Kop referred to him as "God".
"It was going to take something special to change this game," Keegan said. "It was not a half or even a quarter-chance. I've seen him do it so many times over the years but it's nice for him to get it in a City shirt. I know from talking to him how desperate Robbie was to get up and running."
Some 20 minutes before, Fowler would have been frantic. Another devastating pass, this time from Nicolas Anelka, took out two Birmingham defenders and gave Fowler his clearest sight of goal on an afternoon of miserable finishing. Had Fowler been quicker, the angle might have been more favourable but even so he fired hopelessly wide.
City's now-departed chairman, David Bernstein, dragged his relationship with his manager to the brink over his refusal to fund Fowler's transfer fully and just then his caution appeared justified. By the end of a desperately mediocre contest, Keegan could argue that after a summer's rest and a pre-season tour, City's accountants might rest a little more easily with their £6m investment.
Five points ahead of West Ham, who come to St Andrews on the final Sunday of the season, Birmingham City have not yet eased their . They created precisely one chance, two minutes from the end, and after taking the ball round Peter Schmeichel, Geoff Horsfield promptly fell over.
Keegan had dropped virtually the entire defence which had conceded four goals before 20 minutes were up against Arsenal in the last match at Maine Road. However, after their ordeal at the hands of Henry and Bergkamp, Richard Dunne, Steve Howey and Sun Jihai would have backed themselves to have coped with an attack which lacked hard gums, let alone teeth, even when Niclas Jensen was sent off for a second bookable offence 11 minutes from time.
Horsfield's blunder, which is fated to be replayed many times, annoyed his manager, Steve Bruce, less than Robbie Savage's booking for taking a free-kick too quickly. It was the Welshman's 10th of the season, which will deprive Birmingham of one of their most obvious assets for two matches.
"I went to speak to the referee at half-time and he told me he had to book him or he would get marked down himself," Bruce sighed afterwards. "It shows a complete lack of common sense in the game."
The referee, Matt Messias, did, however, correctly spot Anelka's blatant dive when clear on goal, part of a litany of poor play, which included the sight of Marc-Vivien Foé falling over as he shaped to shoot and Anelka squandering a number of one-on-ones.
Keegan admitted this was not a contest that had captured his attention, let alone those who paid to watch Sky's transmission. If you wanted compelling televised drama from Manchester, the final episode of Cold Feet was entertainment of a rather higher calibre.
Goal: Fowler (71) 1-0.
Manchester City (3-5-2): Schmeichel 5; Sommeil 7, Wiekens 5, Distin 6; Wright-Phillips 5, Foe 6, Bernabia 5, Horlock 7, Jensen 4; Fowler 6 (Sun Jihai 81), Anelka 4. Substitutes not used: Belmadi, Dunne, Goater, Nash (gk).
Birmingham City (3-5-2): Bennett 7; Kenna 5 (Devlin 5, 75), Cunningham 6, Upson 6; Johnson 4 (John 84), Savage 6, Clemence 5, Lazaridis 5, Dugarry 6; Morrison 4 (Horsfield 3, 59). Substitutes not used: Carter, Marriott (gk).
Referee: M.Messias 5.
Sent off: Jensen. Booked: Man City: Wiekens. Birmingham: Savage.
Man of the match: Horlock.
Attendance: 34,596.
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