Dugarry's Blue heaven is hellish for Curbishley

Charlton Athletic 0 Birmingham City

Charlton fans' angry condemnation of their team's performance as a loud of rubbish was spot on. Even the comment of Steve Bruce that this was the best Birmingham had played in his 17 months as manager could not conceal the harsh fact that from start to finish, and almost without exception, Charlton were wretched.

Their last six matches have yielded one point and cost 14 goals. In that time they have managed to score two, a horrendous slump. Saying he was "dumbfounded", the Charlton manager, Alan Curbishley, claimed: "It is very difficult to fathom what has happened to us. The back four look as if they are going to concede every time, the midfield are getting outplayed and the forwards have been non-existent.

"I can't understand why every department is not functioning. The whole thing is an absolute embarrassment. We were lucky to get away with 2-0.

"We have to pull ourselves together. It looks as if they have never played together before. I can't remotely think of anyone doing themselves justice. In recent weeks they have destroyed a whole year's work."

With the former French World Cup ace Christophe Dugarry in glorious fettle, Birmingham were in command from the start, thanks to an energetic midfield which kept the supply lines open to Dugarry and his strike partner, Geoff Horsfield, who can never have done better for the Blues. Robbie Savage fetched and carried tirelessly, curbing his wilder tendencies, and was ably abetted by Stephen Clemence and Bryan Hughes. But, as Bruce said, they were all heroes on a day when relegation worries were all but mathematically banished.

"Considering the enormity of the game, to come and play like that was a bit special for us," he said, "Everybody deserves a pat on the back if we win on Monday." That match is against Southampton and victory would guarantee Premiership survival.

Survival could be crucial to the plans of Dugarry, who has indicated he will move on if Birmingham go down. He has now broken a prolonged drought with goals in successive weeks since joining on loan from Bordeaux. Bruce praised Dugarry as "a class act who graces every Premier League ground he goes to". He had ample opportunity here, with the stopgap central-defensive pair, Jonathan Fortune and Tahar El Khalej, resembling a couple who had stayed too long at the office party. Birmingham could have been in front long before Dugarry turned in Horsfield's low ball to the near post after 20 minutes.

Bruce promised the club would do their utmost to keep Dugarry, adding: "We all want him to stay, from the tea lady to the boardroom." By the time Dugarry was removed to protect a groin strain midway through the second half, the match was already settled by a penalty.

It came after a breathtaking move the length of the pitch, in which Savage was twice involved before he burst into the penalty area and was brought down by Chris Powell. But the ball had got away from Savage before the tackle, and Charlton fiercely contested the award. But referee Neil Barry was having none of it, and Savage gleefully tucked away the kick.

Having been lucky to escape a penalty in the first half, when El Khalej felled Horsfield, Charlton could hardly complain – about that or anything else on this dismal day for the club.

Charlton Athletic 0 Birmingham City 2
Dugarry 20, Savage pen 55

Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 25,732