Birmingham frustrates United Thursday, December 29, 2005
Ronaldo frustrated
Walter Pandiani's seemingly final act in a Birmingham shirt saw him score the late equaliser that secured his struggling side side a much-needed point against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw at St Andrews.
The result still left Birmingham second-bottom in the table but meant leaders Chelsea extended their lead over United to 11 points.
Uruguayan striker Pandiani, who scored two minutes after coming on as a substitute, is expected to complete a return to Spain when the January transfer window opens.
Espanyol and his former club Real Mallorca are both bidding for his services, just six months after he joined Steve Bruce's side in a three-million-pound move.
Bruce has admitted that the 32-year-old has failed to settle in English football since his arrival from Deportivo La Coruna and Espanyol have reportedly offered one million pounds to enable him to return to La Liga.
His Birmingham manager is hoping to use the revenue generated to bring in another striker, possibly Preston's David Nugent.
But at least Pandiani will leave Birmingham supporters with some fond memories as his second goal in 17 games left United with a mountain to climb in their title quest despite the efforts of Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
United's lethal strike pairing took their goal tally for the season to 28, but it was not enough to bring United an eighth away victory in nine games as Jamie Clapham sparked a spirited fight back with a collectors' item of a goal.
It was the first time United had failed to win when Rooney had scored.
Dutch international van Nistelrooy managed 16 goals in the whole of last season, but he moved past that mark with almost half of the current campaign still to run after only four minutes, as United swept into the lead, with a superbly crafted goal as they went in search of their eighth win in nine Premiership games.
Kieran Richardson started the forward momentum and was on hand to receive possession again, after an exchange of passes between Paul Scholes and Rooney in the centre circle.
The young England international's cross into the near post area was the perfect ammunition for van Nistelrooy and he shrugged off the challenge of Matthew Upson before defeating Maik Taylor at close range.
Birmingham, with only one home victory all season and shorn of confidence after a dreadful run of eight defeats in their last ten Premiership fixtures, could easily have surrendered, but they gave Bruce reason for optimism with the way they responded with a swift equaliser.
Clapham had never scored for Birmingham in his previous 91 appearances, but he chose the perfect occasion to end that barren spell.
He started the move in his own half and after Czech international Jiri Jarosik and striker Emile Heskey had carved out a shooting chance, the left-back fired low towards the near post and the ball squeezed under the body of Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
United have been in impressive form away from Old Trafford this season and they must have thought they had made it 25 points from a possible 27 eight minutes into the second half.
Rooney read van Nistelrooy's dummy on the edge of the area and produced a powerful low shot to beat Taylor, but Birmingham refused to accept defeat.
They were rewarded for their persistence 12 minutes from time.
Damien Johnson flashed a cross across the six-yard box and Pandiani's first touch since arriving as a substitute was to poke the ball into an unguarded net to give Bruce hope for the relegation fight ahead.
