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Wolves v Birmingham half-time update

The West Midlands derby promised fireworks and it took until very late in the half to spring into life as a Stephen Hunt goal was the only quality moment of a dire first 45 minutes.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is under intense pressure at Molineux and he is desperate for a win as they sitsecond bottom of the Premier League with six defeats in their last eight matches.

He was forced to make four changes as Kevin Doyle, Matt Jarvis, Michael Mancienne and Steven Mouyokoko are all out injured for the vital West Midlands derby. His Birmingham counterpart Alex McLeish made three changes from their last game, bringing giant striker Nikola Zigic, Sebastian Larsson and David Murphy into the starting XI.

The home side started stronger and within 10 minutes Ben Foster had been flung into action twice. First on nine minutes David Edwards got on the end of a Stephen Ward cross to test Foster, while only a minute later the Brum number one denied Hunt from point-blank range.

Following an entertaining start to the game, the quality really dropped and neither side could really get the upper hand – something that should have been expected in a clash of two teams struggling near the wrong end of the table.

On the half hour, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake finally breathed some life into the game when he tested Foster from long-range. In the absence of Doyle and Steven Fletcher, the former Manchester United man is leading the line for McCarthy, however he is supposed to be aided by Ward and the Irishman has failed to offer him any real support at times.

Wolves fans will be buoyed by the fact their defence has not looked massively struggled by the dangerous strike force of Zigic and Cameron Jerome – which is a boost given they have struggled at the back and were the first Premier League team to concede 30 goals this campaign.  Birmingham have relied on long balls during the majority of the first half and that has created a large gap between the front two and the midfield, with no-one busting a gut to get ahead of the forwards when they do flick the ball on.

The first half has mainly been a war of attrition. Finally the game sprung into life late, late in the half as Ward knocked on a goal-kick, Ebanks-Blake whipped the ball hard and low into the area and Hunt knocked the ball past Foster into the back of the Birmingham net.

Alex McLeish needs an inspirational team-talk at half-time if he wants his side to extend their unbeaten run and get anything off Wolves in this game.

Wolves: Hennessey, Zubar, Berra, Stearman, Elokobi, Foley, Edwards, Milijas, Ward, Hunt, Ebanks-Blake.

Subs: Hahnemann, Fletcher, Mujangi Bia, Ebanks-Landell, Winnall, Rooney, Doherty.

Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Murphy, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, Fahey, Jerome, Zigic

Subs: Taylor, Gardner, Phillips, Derbyshire, Parnaby, Beausujour, Redmond

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