Fry derives personal satisfaction

TONY LEIGHTON

Birmingham City 2 Southend United 0

Two goals by Steve Claridge won Birmingham's self-styled grudge match and halted the rapid table-climbing of manager Barry Fry's former club, who had won their previous three games.

The televised encounter was set up for some needle when Birmingham, in a provocatively worded local newspaper advertisement, claimed that Southend would be "coming to St Andrews looking for revenge" on the manager who defected from Roots Hall to the second city almost two yeas ago.

While Southend's officials were sufficiently incensed to report Birmingham to the Football League, their players failed to respond to the jibes but, after a promising start, they were outplayed with some ease by a Birmingham side who grew in confidence throughout the match and could have won by a much wider margin.

Their recent scoring deficiencies - just two goals in their previous five league games, none of which had been won - were in evidence in the early stages as Steve Castle, Claridge and Andy Edwards all missed simple opportunities. But after Claridge had slid in his first goal from Jason Bowen's 43rd-minute pass, they were never in any danger.

Claridge sealed the victory with a quite superb goal 15 minutes from time, running at Southend's retreating defence to strike a 20-yard shot just inside the far post. The striker might have had a hat-trick if substitute Ricky Otto had chosen to pass to him in the 81st minute. But Otto, one of five Birmingham players on view who were signed by Fry from Southend, shot straight at the goalkeeper, Simon Royce.

The visitors rarely threatened, although Julian Hails twice went close in the second half, shooting narrowly wide on both occasions. It was an unhappy afternoon for Southend, whose debutant striker, Paul Read - signed this week on loan from Arsenal - had to be substituted after sustaining an ankle injury.

Fry, labelled "Judas" by Southend fans when he left Roots Hall, was understandably satisfied after seeing his team climb eight places in the First Division: "Being sixth in the table means nothing at this stage, but we have got the bulk of our team to come back from injury and we'll be a better side in the second half of this season."

Birmingham City (4-4-2): Bennett; Poole, Edwards, Johnson, Cooper; Finnan (Otto, 53), Hunt, Castle, Bowen (Martin, 88); Claridge, Charlery (Forsyth, 61).

Southend United (4-4-2): Royce; Dublin, Lapper, Bodley, Powell; Byrne (Hone, 73), Marsh, Tilson, Hails; Thomson (Regis, 66), Read (Jones, 46).

Referee: W Burns (Scarborough).