Birmingham City 1 Fulham 0

Fulham slipped to defeat in a match that was played in appalling conditions.

If battling with the rain wasn`t bad enough the strong winds sweeping through St Andrews made playing our sweeping passing game almost impossible. By the time we`d adapted the second half was well under way and we were already chasing the game.

Perhaps Al Billy was right when he suggested, in midweek, that a switch to a summer season be considered.

Rumours that Danny Murphy was ready for a return to the first team proved to be false with our captain nowhere to be seen in the nominated eighteen, however it was pleasing to see Simon Davies finally make a return to the starting eleven, in the Premier League, after his long lay off.

Chris Baird continued in midfield with Dickson Etuhu still on the bench along with, surprisingly, John Pantsil, who lost his starting place to the former Birmingham player, Stephen Kelly.

As for the action, the first quarter of an hour wasn`t pretty stuff and when ex-Leeds United bad boy, Lee Bowyer, gave the home side the lead, slipping the ball over Mark Schwarzer in the 16th minute, you sensed it might well be one of those long afternoons.

Chasing the game, things picked up slightly in the second half when Damien Duff was introduced with his trickery on the wings at least threatening to create a few chances.

Perhaps the closest we came to an equaliser was when a Clint Dempsey effort was tipped over the bat but for all our enterprising approach play, once we`d finally settled into the awful conditions, there was nothing to suggest we were going to seriously trouble Joe Hart in the home goal.

Apologies for the short match report but, on reflection, it was one of those games you look back on and hope the next one will be a lot better.

Roll on Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night!

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.