The Premier League game between Birmingham City and Portsmouth at the St Andrew's on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2009.
Portsmouth's plight is mirrored in their players’ shirts, which are sponsored by a job website and manufactured by a company that has since gone bankrupt.
The fare they offered on Wednesday night had a similarly bargain basement feel as James McFadden struck with an injury-time penalty to send them to a second straight defeat.
Paul Hart’s side have had the creative heart ripped out of them and in Birmingham they found opponents of limited attacking ambition, rewarded fortuitously by a late penalty.
As the ball looped off Younes Kaboul in the six-yard area, David James came to clear with a punch and barged over Sebastian Larsson. Referee Lee Probert debated for several seconds before pointing to the spot, and McFadden dispatched the kick with aplomb.
It was cruel on James, who had made an inspired one-handed save in the 77th minute from substitute Kevin Phillips’ first-time volley. Until that point Larsson had come the closest to a breakthrough, but the Swede’s header sailed over.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish sought to inject greater pace in the second half by bringing on Phillips for Cameron Jerome, but it was Joe Hart who should have worried him more, the goalkeeper flapping badly at a Nadir Belhadj free-kick.
At the other end James stood tall, save for one costly rush of blood — a bitter end, indeed.
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