(4 mins Alan Shearer penalty saved)

45 mins There's no question that Steve Harper fouled the onrushing Andy Johnson - exit one goalkeeper and enter Shay Given, who saw the resultant penalty from Martin O'Connor fly past his left hand. 0-1. 

Half time: Birmingham City 1 Newcastle 0

60 mins A corner from the left wing taken by Garry Rowett was floated on to the head of Darren Purse, who nodded it in the goal without undue hindrance from any of the so-called defenders. 0-2

Full time: Birmingham City 2 Newcastle 0

Bobby Robson:

"I don't like giving up but there was no point in Alan Shearer being asked to expend every ounce of energy he has got in his body. He had played an international 48 hours earlier, but with three big strikers unavailable I had to play him. 

"The penalty was one of those things. He'll be sorry about that but he held the ball up well and challenged well.

"I have to protect him and God forbid that he doesn't get injured because we have got him playing very well. I am concerned about him. He wants to play and would rather play than train. But I've got to look after him in training every day, use a softly, softly approach, wrap him up in cotton wool a little bit. 

"I don't want to make him feel 'the club will fall over if I don't play' but he is vital to us so we have to be sensible with him.

"I respect the Worthington Cup. If I didn't I wouldn't have played the likes of Shearer, Speed and Dabizas after coming back from internationals, but Premier League status for us is crucial. 

"We are a long way from home in that competition yet and we also might have a little dart at things in Europe. We have other fish to fry."

Disjointed jottings to match a disjointed performance: 

A rare show of unity between club and supporters - nobody on the field or the away section seemed to give a monkey's toss about the result. Worthless Cup indeed.... some toon fans cheered when Birmingham went 2-0 up, as it meant:

a) there was no chance of extra time or a penalty shootout, which of course we would perish in....

b) thus ensuring that neither a miserable away trip on a weekday night to Upton Park or Dean Court would be required, or another cup match at St.James' with its attendant costs (especially given a realistic chance of progression in Europe at the expense of Zurich....) 

c) we got out of St.Andrews without threat to life or limb (believe me, there were some handy looking lads lurking in the stand to our right...)

d) We can forget about a third-rate mickey mouse cup that we wouldn't win anyway (and if we got to the final it would knacker our league fixture calendar.) 
The old adage, "concentrate on the league" was never more apt than for a team second bottom of the Premiersip in October.

Anyone still awake by half time would have spotted Paul Robinson warming up with goalies gloves on - had anything happened to Given, he would have been the third choice keeper (shades of Peter Beardsley & Chris Hedworth at West Ham and more recently, Kevin Brock here).

Typical Toon irony in the penalty save; a former United keeper kept out the leading goalscorer, with his first competitive touch for over a year. Al of course missed a spot kick in the League Cup for the second successive year - enough for the papers to start slagging him off again surely....

There was a quick re-appearance for another of the forgotten Keegan purchases - Chris Holland, who doubtless pondered the mysteries of life that resulted in his fellow reject Steve Guppy earning a England cap last Sunday.

There are no meaningful conclusions to be drawn from this performance; City won't last long in the top flight if they make it, Robson could have picked a team that didn't feature those players who were on international duty but didn't. 

Nobody got hurt; Glass got a run out, Harper will be banned, Barton was already heading for a ban, our car was left where we parked it. End of story.

Highlight of the Evening: carnivorous colleagues deemed the Balti pie "magnificent", but for me the sight of a Blues lottery seller giving the away fans a two-fingered salute, only to be stripped of her uniform and sacked on the spot within seconds took some beating. 

The train driver who hooted his horn as he drove past the back of our stand was also entertaining, but surely he should have been watching the signals...?

Biffa

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