Steve Bruce had opted to stick with exactly the same sixteen that had seen off Liverpool the previous week which meant Darren Carter kept his place on the bench, and later got some of the action, for his first taste of a second city derby. Following their mid-September humiliation at St Andrews, and the criticism of not having enough local-born players in his side, Villa boss Graham Taylor had Stefan Moore, Darius Vassell and Lee Hendrie - all Birmingham born - in his starting eleven.
The game got off to a frenetic start with tackles and challenges flying in all over the place. Robbie Savage and Christophe Dugarry were the main offenders for Blues whilst Joey Gudjonsson and Gareth Barry were not being shy for the home side. Chances, however, were few and far between throughout the first half. Hendrie fired a little high and wide with a dipping volley, whilst Gudjonsson hit about 5 shots into the Holte End from ridiculous distances. At the other end, Clinton Morrison missed a glorious opportunity to make it 1-0 with a poor header from a Damien Johnson cross, whilst Dugarry hit a magnificent half volley from some 25 yeard which Peter Enckelman - cheered throughout by Blues fans - did well to tip over the bar. At half-time though, it was 0-0.
Whilst the first half had been exhilerating as a result of the sheer tempo of the game, and aggressive nature it took on, it didn't even compar to the second 45 minutes. Villa brought on Mustapha Hadji for the ineffective Moore, but within 5 minutes were reduced to ten men.
Dion Dublin blatantly fouled Robbie Savage in the middle of the park, and Savage got up and took exception to the challenge. Words were exchanged between the duo - as they were at St Andrews - as players charged in from all over the pitch. As referee Mark Halsey stepped in, Dublin clearly took exception to something the Welsh midfielder said, and clearly head-butted him leaving Halsey no option but to brandish the red card.
So, now Blues had an opportunity to go at just ten men, but began to struggle as Villa had their best possession of the match, though they failed to test Nico Vaesen in the Blues goal. Blues meanwhile replaced Morrison who had struggled to get the service he required with Horsfield who would have had no idea about the kind of night he was about to enjoy.
After 74 minutes, despite Villa's pressure, Blues took the lead - in front of the Holte End. From a throw-in deep into Villa territory on the right, Dugarry and Stephen Clemence worked the ball to Jeff Kenna. The Irish full-back turned Alan Wright and got to the byline to whip in a delightful cross straight across the front of Enckelman's goal. Horsfield just missed out at the near post - perhaps through a push from JLloyd Samuel, but Lazaridis arrived at the far post to knock the ball home with his head from just a yard or so out. Not only was it a surprise to see the Australian score, seeing as he'd gone some 80 odd games before this without finding the net, but more so, he's hardly famed for his heading ability - not that any of the celebrating Blues fans really cared.
Just three minutes later it was 2-0. A Savage header which was little more than a clearance put Samuel under pressure from Horsfield. The Villa youngster's header back to his goalkeeper was a little short, though Enckelman totally bottled his challenge with Horsfield, allowing the Barnsley-born striker to nick the ball past the Finn, and run the ball into the empty net.
By now Villa's fans had lost it. A few hundred in the Lower Doug Ellis Stand attempted to get to the Blues fans at the other end of the same stand. Also one or two began to run onto the pitch - one running straight at the Blues fans in the North Stand, and another running straight at Savage and appearing as if he was going to hit him. Rather like his goalkeeper though, the fan bottled it, did a stupid little jig or something, then got escorted from the pitch.
As tempers flared amongst the Villa supporters, their players got in on the act too. Gudjonsson, who a few minutes earlier had been booked for constantly fouling, made an appalling two-footed lunge at Matthew Upson which could easily have broken the central defenders leg. Mark Halsey had little choice but to send the on-loan midfielder off - though why it was courtesy of a second yellow card and not a straight red was slightly baffling.
By now the game was so disjointed it had become a farce. More Villa fans brought the game to a halt whilst Savage and Vaesen urged Blues fans not to react - after all, being 2-0 with not long to go at Villa Park, it would have been stupid to jeopardise anything. Thankfully the Blues fans took heed.
The drama was still not over, however, as Blues suffered their first real setback of the entire evening. Vaesen received a back-pass from Kenny Cunningham, and did well to control the bouncing ball as Vassell advanced. However, as the Belgian cleared the ball upfield his leg buckled beneath him, and it was immediately apparent that he was in agony and was stretchered off. As Blues had already brough on Horsfield, Paul Devlin and Carter (who had come on for Savage who was pelted by Villa fans as he left the pitch area), they were unable to utilise Ian Bennett from the bench, and as a result goalscorer Horsfield ended the game in goal. Luckily he wasn't tested though, and kept a clean sheet - though the Blues fans chants of 'England's Number One!' may have been a little generous.
After some 3 minutes of stoppage time - far less than there actually was - Mark Halsey blew his full-time whistle, keen, one would imagine, to simply get the players out of a hostile atmosphere that was threatening to boil over. Once again though - as at Millwall back in late April last year - the Blues fans really didn't care what was going on around them as they celebrated a 5-0 aggregate scoreline over 'supposedly' the stronger Birmingham club. It truly was a magical night.
More importantly than taking six points off the Villa though, was the three points that edged Blues ever closer to Premiership survival. With West Ham's mini-revival, Blues needed something from the game, and they certainly got it. There's once again a six point gap between Blues and the drop-zone, plus Bolton in 17th are now six points adrift also. The one note of concern was Vaesen's injury, and personally I would like to wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.
PLAYER RATINGS:
Vaesen - Hadn't had to make a save before sickening injury
Kenna - Excellent cross for first goal, and all round solid display
Clapham - Started poorly but improved immensely
Upson - Excellent in battle with Dublin
Cunningham - Assured, though struggled with Vassell's pace and was booked for the first time for Blues
Johnson - Good all round display
Clemence - Excellent once again
Savage - Certainly riles opposition players and fans alike
Lazaridis - Not most effective display of late, but got crucial goal
Dugarry - At times brilliant, at others too happy to try little flicks when not necessary
Morrison - Struggled to get service
SUBS:
Horsfield - Took his goal well, before keeping a clean sheet - can't be bad!
Devlin - Booked early on, but did a job
Carter - The game had gone crazy by the time he got on