Football: Liverpool left to admire Blues progression

Last year, the year of the underdog, money remained silent until the final stages of the FA Cup, as Bolton, Luton, Bristol City and company struck defiant blows for the Endsleigh League.

The campaign was regarded by those who see football in political terms as a bold, but ultimately futile, gesture by the newly disenfranchised underclass against the Premiership elite.

There is no room in the barren new world of Premiership greed for giantkillers who can, with 90 minutes of pluck and luck, create a horrible hole in a balance sheet's projected profit.

One (very new) Premiership manager even went so far as to suggest that the non-League clubs, who are at the very heart of the competition's appeal, should not be allowed in the competition. Shame on you Mark McGhee, and a shame Enfield were unable to inflict on Leicester City the punishment such sentiments deserve.

Enfield, like the other non-League clubs left in the competition - Aylesbury, Marlow and Altrincham - earned honour but not victory on Saturday. There will be no goalscoring postman or road-sweeping goalkeeper for "Mottie" to go into raptures about in the fourth round.

This is in keeping with recent history. Surprisingly, given the current strength of non-League football, the Seventies and Eighties were their best years, with the part-timers gaining a fourth-round representative most seasons. In this decade only two such clubs, Woking in 1991, and Kidderminster last year, have made it past the early January culling of dreams.

Kidderminster did so by beating Birmingham City at St Andrews. It seemed the final indignity for a club so laden with such slights they had fallen into the hands of a porn-baron owner, a twentysomething female chief executive and a wise-cracking wheeler-dealing non-League manager.

A year on, and St Andrews was again pondering a giantkilling, That, however, is where the similarity ends. The ground, half of which is completely new, the rest smartened up, is a tribute to David Sullivan's investment and commitment. The finances are testament to Karren Brady's abilities - the special souvenir programme, for example, carried more glossy advertisements than anything in the Premiership, without being overwhelmed by them.

Most of all the team demonstrates the nous and drive of Barry Fry, their manager. His team are top of the Second Division and, on Saturday, had the better of their 23rd unbeaten match in succession when they drew 0-0 with Liverpool. The club, and the unusual trinity who run it, have gained respect.

Liverpool will certainly not take the replay for granted, not after home replay defeats to Bolton and Bristol City in their last third-round ties. Fry hoped the memory would disturb them. Maybe: Roy Evans, his Liverpool counterpart, mentioned it unprompted.

Evans thought Liverpool improved as the game went on. He can only have meant they became better at retaining possession, not at controlling the game. Even that was in part due to Birmingham's exhaustion - several of their players were not match-fit - andin part because Liverpool seemed scared to attempt anything more adventurous than keep-ball.

It was like one of those classic Liverpool displays in the European Cup, sit back and attempt to hit the opposition on the break. Only they were not playing "crack continentals", they were playing a team two divisions below them.

Their uncertainty was exemplified in the performance of the ever-nervy goalkeeper David James, and the right-back Rob Jones. Jones was given such a fearful chasing by Louie Donowa he must hope Terry Venables never hears of it. Donowa, like Ricky Otto andDave Claridge, ran at and discomforted Liverpool. Occasionally, Otto even beat the impressive Neil Ruddock in the air. He would so clearly grace the Premiership it is a wonder he is not already there.

With Steve McManaman also dribbling with intent in the first half, the match had many attractive moments, despite being played on a difficult surface. Both goalkeepers made fine saves. Ian Bennett three times denied Robbie Fowler. James saved expertly from Kenny Lowe and Donowa. With Donowa also hitting the side-netting, Claridge shooting over from close-in and Gary Cooper heading Neil Ruddock's header off the line there was plenty to stir a noisy 25,326 crowd.

But no goals and, so far, no giant-slaying. That honour, on what was a disappointing afternoon for upset-seekers, went to to Wrexham who sent Ipswich down the path Arsenal tumbled three years ago. It seems that the Racecourse Ground cornered all the giant-killing drama, and it also boasted the best finish of the day.

Having gone behind to Kieron Durkan's volley, Ipswich equalised through David Linighan's header five minutes from time. Carelessly, they then gave away a penalty when Adam Tanner fouled Karl Connelly, and Gary Bennett duly scored his 11th penalty of a prolific season. Even then the Premiership side could have excaped, but both Phil Whelan and Adrian Paz hit the bar.

Elsewhere, Coventry City, who appear to be on the wane, survived at home to an improving West Bromwich side in a game of two penalties, and Arsenal, Leeds and Manchester City, like Liverpool, earned home replays. However as Arsenal and Leeds (again like Liverpool), lost such ties last year, in the fourth round to Bolton and Oxford, while City lost at Cardiff, there can be no room for complacency.

What has proved a routine third round so far, may yet have a few surprises in store.

If they survive this tie, Liverpool may go all the way for money talks in the FA Cup, just as it does in the league. Take out the back-to-back victories of Wimbledon and Coventry in the late Eighties and every winner for 14 years has come from the "big five" clubs - Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Tottenham. Not since 1975, when West Ham beat Fulham, has the final not included one of those five clubs.

But first they must get to the fourth round, and Liverpool will beware hungry, talented Birmingham. The part-timers may be out but Birmingham represent an ersatz non-League team. Seven of Saturday's side began or revived their careers in non-League football. As Ian Wright, once of Greenwich Borough, has shown, the combination of ability and perspective is a potent one. There is nothing like working for a living to make a player appreciate the privilege of being a professional footballer.

Birmingham City (4-4-2): Bennett; Poole, Barnett, Daish, Cooper; Lowe, Ward, Shearer, Donowa; Claridge, Otto. Substitutes not used: Price (gk), McGavin, De Souza.

Liverpool (5-3-2): James; Jones, Scales, Ruddock, Babb, Bjornebye; McManaman, Redknapp, Barnes; Fowler, Rush. Substitutes not used: Ward (gk), Thomas, Walters.

Referee: J Watson (Whitley Bay).