Sport

Horsfield is finally the hero

Birmingham reached their first major final since 1963 last night, with an extra-time win over Ipswich, their third topflight …

Thu Feb 01 2001 - 00:00

Birmingham reached their first major final since 1963 last night, with an extra-time win over Ipswich, their third topflight scalp of this season's Worthington Cup.

The first division promotion hopefuls had already put out Spurs and Newcastle and had to overturn a single goal first-leg lead which Ipswich held going into yesterday's tie at St Andrews.

Birmingham's hero was Geoff Horsfield with goals in normal and extra-time, the second putting his team back in front on aggregate after James Scowcroft had levelled things up on aggregate following Martin Grainger's opener and Horsfield's first.

But it was in the second period of extra-time that a mistake from Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright presented substitute Andrew Johnson with an easy chance to secure the tie and the home side's trip to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for a Worthington Cup final showdown with Liverpool.

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Two minutes before half-time Martin Grainger raced in to head home Birmingham's vital goal from just a yard out.

Then, in the 55th minute, striker Horsfield coolly hit a low left-footed shot into the net to put the home side into the lead for the first time in the two legs.

However, Birmingham's joy was short lived. Marcus Stewart smashed a shot against Ian Bennett and from the rebound the Ipswich substitute Scowcroft netted from about eight yards.

Horsfield scored his second goal of the game in the first period of extra-time and Johnson pounced to tap the ball in after Richard Wright had miskicked a back pass when the ball bobbled on the uneven playing surface, sending the home fans into raptures.

BIRMINGHAM: Bennett, Gill, Purse, Michael Johnson, Grainger, Eaden (Hughes 109), O'Connor, Sonner, Lazaridis (Burrows 119), Horsfield, Adebola (Andrew Johnson 98). Subs Not Used: Poole, Ndlovu. Booked: Sonner. Goals: Grainger 43, Horsfield 56, 103, Andrew Johnson 117.

IPSWICH: Richard Wright, Croft (Reuser 105), McGreal, Venus, Hreidarsson, Jermaine Wright, Holland, Magilton (Karic 109), Clapham, Stewart, Naylor (Scowcroft 46). Subs Not Used: Branagan, Brown. Booked: Naylor, Magilton, Croft. Goals: Scowcroft 57.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).