Birmingham Mail

There were things good and things bad from Blues in the clash against Villa.

With a bit of luck here and there, more care and attention and a better referee, they could have snatched a win, if not at least a draw.

Daniel de Ridder's split-second, delayed action fall probably convinced Steve Bennett that he had dived.

De Ridder insists that he was caught by Martin Laursen's ill-judged swiping tackle and, at first sight, most people in the ground must have felt it was a penalty.

But then these are the sort of incidents that can swing a game one way and not the other.

And ultimately, all that matters is the result.

David Dunn was fouled by Wilfred Bouma the last time Blues played Villa at St Andrew's but again no penalty was forthcoming - and who remembers that?

From Blues perspective, the goals conceded were poor.

Olivier Kapo, a more physically imposing man, should not have allowed Stiliyan Petrov to wriggle past him and cross for Villa's opening goal.

Johan Djourou hesitated, Liam Ridgewell stopped too and the ball bounced off the top of his knee into the net.

Gabby Agbonlahor's 87th minute decider came after Djourou was unable to clear properly and strongly downfield.

De Ridder allowed Ashley Young the kind of room to cross that Stephen Kelly worked so hard all game to compress against such a tricky, speedy customer.

Agbonlahor got the march on Ridgewell to glance past Maik Taylor - and should the Blues goalkeeper have done better, as he got a hand on the ball?

These kind of small but important details have been regular refrains this season.

Individually, Blues have shown a habit of switching off and in the Premier League you can't get away with it.

On the plus side, Blues yet again fell behind - they have not scored first in their last eight matches now - but showed gumption to respond after it appeared, in the 15-20 minute spell after Ridgewell's own goal, that they had completely gone.

Mikael Forssell scored a fantastic header from an excellent cross by de Ridder who, although lightweight at times, can conjure things up and bring an air of much needed unpredictability about Blues.

Without question Blues looked more threatening with two recognised strikers up front.

Villa's string of centre-halves across the backline became increasingly uncomfortable.

Cameron Jerome's withdrawal was puzzling. It was surely greeted with relief by Villa as his pace and direct running was testing them to the full as Blues built up a head of steam.

Perhaps too much is made of formations and 4-4-1-1, 4-5-1 and 4-4-2.

Blues don't stick rigidly to 'one up front' as many people seem to think. Kapo was moved alongside Jerome after 15 minutes yesterday.

Manager Steve Bruce obviously doesn't feel comfortable in playing two recognised strikers from the off, especially away from home.

He may need to in more games now to shake Blues from a familiar pattern of having to do the chasing when the opposition have seized the initiative.

If he was able to sign, say, a Nicolas Anelka tomorrow, then he would have no hesitation in doing so - and that is something which has to be addressed in January's transfer window, whoever the club owners are.

That said, it was interesting to talk to Trevor Francis and Stephen Clemence ahead of the derby, both of whom said it was important for Blues to sort out their defensive frailties first and concentrate on not conceeding goals that make you grimace.

As Villa enjoy the bragging rights until April - the return is the fourth but last game of the season - Blues have to deal with the pain of losing the derby and frustration at another game they were not quite good enough to win but neither so bad that they should have lost.