BIRMINGHAM CITY 3, Wanderers 1: COINS raining down on the fans, a torrential downpour and a deluge of disappointment at the final whistle. Basically a complete washout writes Neil Bonnar

There was little in it until referee Chris Foy handed the initiative to Birmingham by sending Ricardo Gardner off for a nothing challenge.

But there would be an element of papering over cracks if we blamed the defeat entirely on the referee.

Wanderers were bright in many aspects of their game but there were so many flaws to this Bolton performance that there has to be a massive improvement or they can kiss goodbye to the Premiership.

This was a game against a side expected to be fighting relegation all season so it is to be expected that Wanderers would hold their own.

They did so with a display of much energy, determination and technical ability. But they came unstuck where it matters - in both boxes.

At half time they had every right to be confident they could go on and draw or even win the game.

They had restricted the home side to one chance, a Stan Lazaridis near post flick from Clinton Morrison's cross which Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to turn away. While at the other end it needed two excellent interceptions by Darren Purse to deny Youri Djorkaeff and Michael Ricketts a clear sight of goal from close range.

But it just seems that sooner or later Wanderers will become conspirators to their own downfall at the moment and their contribution to Birmingham's three second half goals was sloppy.

The first, while it was still 11 v 11 was horrific from start to finish. Ricardo Gardner got himself massively out of position as Birmingham took possession and attacked the space behind him on the left.

Winger Paul Devlin, tracked by Gareth Farrelly crossed and Ivan Campo sliced his clearance over his shoulder for a corner which put Wanderers under pressure they should never have been under.

From the corner Devlin was given time to pick out Purse who easily lost his marker and capitalised on time and space to thunder his shot into the bottom corner.

It could have been so different had the impressive Jay Jay Okocha's 30-yard shot dipped another three inches minutes earlier. But harping on about what might have been is the pastime of failures.

Gardner's dismissal was wrong. He was rightly booked early on for a trip on Devlin who had turned him sweetly but to get a second yellow for a collision with Geoff Horsfield in which he was more the victim than the aggressor was cruel.

Horsfield's elbow went into Gardner's neck in an untidy but unintentional incident and both sets of players continued playing without breaking stride or noticing even the slightest prospect that a foul could be given.

That changed the game but in the short term it seemed to have worked in Wanderers' favour as Birmingham lost their edge and the visitors levelled with a goal of world class from a player of world class.

The sight of Mike Whitlow skinning Jeff Kenna to get to the by-line wasn't one you would have envisaged before the game but it was a treat to see and his pinpoint deep cross got the treatment it deserved as Jay Jay Okocha pulled the trigger and fired the most vicious of right footed volleys inside the near post.

Surely a deserved point was Wanderers' for the taking with only 18 minutes left of an evenly balanced contest. Not a chance.

You don't get to the bottom of the table by accident and Wanderers showed just why they are propping up the Premiership with schoolboy defending ten seconds after the restart.

Robbie Savage might as well have been the Invisible Man for all the attention Wanderers' defence paid him as he strolled unattended through the midfield then the defence and finally dribbled round Jaaskelainen.

It was a demoralising moment but they almost recovered when Dean Holdsworth produced the sharpest of swivels eight yards out to leave two defenders rooted to the spot and only a crucial point blank save from Nico Vaesen rescued Birmingham who two minutes later sealed the points with another nightmare goal to concede by Wanderers.

Jaaskelainen was honest enough to hold up his hands afterwards and blame himself for Geoff Horsfield's simple tap in.

At first sight it looked like the keeper had done well to turn Clinton Morrison's shot against the post. But the Finn admitted he blundered by trying to keep the ball in play only to fail to get hold of it properly.