Iversen fails to settle an ugly domestic

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Birmingham City 1

The anguished howls of the home faithful told its own story. Steffen Iversen, that poor man's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, still manages to provoke the whole gamut of emotions, but mostly exasperation, in the Wolves supporters. Well into added time, and having already secured a merited equaliser for Dave Jones' men, the former Tottenham striker was poised in front of goal with just the Birmingham goalkeeper, Maik Taylor, standing defiant as Henri Camara's cut-back came to him. If anybody would convert the opportunity, the Norwegian would. He stabbed the ball wide.

Perhaps it was asking a bit much for Wanderers to haul their way back from a debit position yet again in front of their own followers, and, anyway, their feat in doing so from three goals down a fortnight ago will have to suffice for a lifetime. But come the season's end, you just feel that supporters will be glancing through the scorelines and, if, as still appears likely, Wolves are returned to the Nationwide, muttering "If only..."

That said, their side has improved steadily after that ignominious start when they were anybody's patsies. Having garnered one point from their first six matches in the Premiership, they have won nine in their six games since. "For long spells we had them [Birmingham] on the wrong foot," reflected Jones. "We know we can get stronger, but we're hanging on in there."

Tribal conflict is rarely the most edifying of spectacles, and here, in Wolves' first Premiership derby, a chill wind whipped around the stadium and disturbed any attempt to establish flowing rhythms, the prospect of any delights for the purist were swiftly disabused. On such a day, it was a contest in which the gloves were on, well, Christophe Dugarry, for one, and metaphorically off just about everybody else. There was always an edge to affairs, but referee Graham Barber handled most incidents adeptly.

Immediately after the interval, Dugarry had met the full force of Alex Rae, with inevitable consequences. The Frenchman lay writhing, Rae swiftly departing the scene of the incident, but without a caution. How the Wolves' fans loved that. His long hair, and presumably the fact that he is a Frenchman and over-generously talented, made him a target for their abuse from the start. He soon responded, as all the best players tend to do, with a crucial part in City's goal.

Displaying no ill-effects, Duggary sent Mikael Forssell on his way through a hesitant rearguard, Lee Naylor obligingly slipped, and the Finn dispatched his shot past Michael Oakes. It was a fifth goal in eight games for City's leading scorer.

Dugarry, having been earlier cautioned for "simulation" after a soft fall, was eventually removed on a stretcher 10 minutes later, attracting minimal sympathy from the home crowd. His manager, Steve Bruce, who attributed "a twisted knee" for his substitution, insisted: "The stick doesn't bother him at all. He's had it all in his career. I'm just pleased I've got him. He was our talisman last season and kept us up. It's very rare to see someone with so much talent these days."

City, though, could not maintain their advantage for long. Wolves, who in the first half had seen an Iversen 20-yard effort turned round the post by Taylor and a goal-bound header by Jody Craddock headed off the line by Damien Johnson from the resulting corner, may have been their rivals' inferiors in terms of sheer quality, but lack nothing when it comes to defiance in adversity.

It was just after the hour when Rae robbed David Dunn, surged forward, offered Iversen a chance, which he wasted but won a corner. Rae took it, City failed to clear the ball and Iversen stabbed it home at the far post. It was a scruffy goal, but Jones won't worry about that, nor, he claims Iversen's later miss.

His manager preferred to concentrate on the striker's attributes, claiming: "He's taken a bit of flack in some quarters, but he led the line brilliantly, chased everything and worked his socks off."

True, but unfortunately, two goals from eight outings is not the kind of scoring rate destined to help Wolves defy relegation.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Iversen 66

Birmingham City 1
Forssell 49

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 28,831