THE abuse was to be expected, and no doubt David James was thoroughly prepared for it. The Manchester City and, er, England goalkeeper looked more than happy to be back in the familiar hurly-burly of the Premiership, in which you barely have time to think, let alone drift off into a self-regarding reverie.

He was tested early. Nicky Butt swung in a free kick and Manchester City’s defenders allowed Birmingham striker Walter Pandiani an unconscionable amount of time, first to chest the ball down, and then to get away a sharp volley. The goalkeeper was well positioned to beat the ball away.

If Manchester City began dozily at the back however, Andy Cole was wide awake up front, reacting more quickly than the Birmingham centre-backs when Danny Mills crossed from the right to glance a header past goalkeeper Maik Taylor, only to see the ball come back off the underside of the bar.

Cole was still berating his luck when his team fell behind. Julian Gray got the better of Mills on the left

and crossed deep, Pandiani made a nuisance of himself and the ball fell kindly for Butt, running into the area

to drive in from 10 yards. James was unfortunate; he got a hand to the ball but not strongly enough to divert it past the post.

It should have been two soon afterwards when Mikael Forssell’s turn left Richard Dunne for dead. The Finn picked out the run of Jermaine Pennant into the penalty area only for the winger to curl his sidefooted shot just wide.

On 20 minutes the visitors levelled. Taylor should have reached Cole’s pass into the area before Darius Vassell,

but the goalkeeper reacted too slowly. The alert Vassell got his foot to the ball and though Taylor blocked bravely enough, the ball rebounded for Joey Barton to roll home from close range.

Birmingham retaliated and had strong claims for a penalty rejected when Butt appeared to be brought down by Stephen Jordan.

The home player was incensed at the decision of referee Mark Clattenburg and was booked for protesting

too strongly to the Tyne and Wear official.

Pennant was becoming an increasing threat on the right flank and one run ended with a slide-rule pass into the path of Stephen Clemence — but Mills was alert to his run into the box.

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