Bizarre goal helps Birmingham beat Villa 3-0

One of the most bizarre own goals in the history of English professional football helped Birmingham City to a 3-0 premier league win over city rivals Aston Villa on Monday.

In the first meeting between the two clubs for 15 seasons, Birmingham had taken the lead after 31 minutes through Clinton Morrison but were hanging on in the face of a strong second-half Villa comeback.

There was no danger when Villa's Olaf Mellberg sent a throw-in back to his goalkeeper Peter Enckelman 13 minutes from time. But the Finnish international somehow allowed the ball to trickle under his boot and into the net.

His Villa team mates claimed he had missed it completely and, as the laws of the game state a goal cannot be scored direct from a throw in, urged the referee to award a corner.

However, the official, standing on the halfway line, decided there had been some contact with the goalkeeper's boot and duly awarded the goal.

Striker Geoff Horsfield then cashed in on another defensive error to fire home City's third seven minutes from time.

The win takes Birmingham up to ninth on eight points with Villa on 15th on six. Arsenal top the table with 14 points.

The match was the first meeting between the two rivals since the 1987-88 season, in the old second division, and their first in the premier league.

Birmingham, roared on by a home crowd relishing every minute of their return to the top flight after a 16-year absence, totally dominated the first half.

They got their deserved lead when a hopeful long ball into the box found its way to Robbie Savage.

The Welsh international midfielder mis-controlled the ball on his chest but it fell nicely for Morrison, who scored both in the 2-2 comeback draw against Liverpool last week. He swept it in.

Villa's best first-half effort came seven minutes later when Ecuador's Ulises de la Cruz thumped a long shot against the bar.

MUCH IMPROVED

Villa were much improved after the break and had a Darius Vassell goal controversially ruled out for offside. Vassell then went close with a header in the 74th minute and the impressive Gareth Barry curled a free kick just wide a minute later.

But the pressure counted for nothing once Enckelman committed his terrible blunder.

Experienced Turkish international Alpay was almost as bad when he was caught in possession by Horsfield, allowing the substitute to run on and score the third.

"It was a wonderful night for us, we have waited a long time for it," Birmingham manager Steve Bruce told Sky Sports TV. "We were the better team in the first half...we had a little break but overall I think we deserved it."

Bruce said he had a poor view of the second goal, saying he looked up just as the ball was rolling into the net.

It was Villa's third-successive away defeat, in which they have failed to muster a goal and left manager Graham Taylor "more than disappointed."

"It will be humbling for the Villa supporters. There was no joy for us at all this evening," he said. "Today we've not only not scored but we have defended very badly."

Of the bizarre own goal the former England manager said: "Very few people have seen the likes of that. I certainly haven't in all my career.

"Enckelman didn't even know the laws of the game -- he does now -- he thought it was a goal whether he had touched it or not. He said he did not know whether he had touched it and if he did it was the faintest of contacts."

However, it was not all good news for Birmingham, who will be reported by the referee for failing to control their fans.

Several ran on to the pitch after each goal, with one supporter aggressively taunting Enckelman after his error.