Bizarrely, I got my wish in this ‘must win’ game (thank you Zola and TTA) when it looked like a typical Blues disaster scenario after the first half hour. Yet the initial signs seemed set fair – a full house, the place rocking to spine tingling renditions of Keep Right On and Harry Houdini in charge.

Cue a missed penalty straight down the throat of the keeper and a very harsh sending off although thankfully the referee spent the rest of the game trying to atone for a disgraceful decision. While Huddersfield made a multitude of changes their second string tried almost manically to impress their manager with no doubt contracts and the sniff of Wembley and premiership football at stake. In addition, at the start of the second period, they gradually introduced their ‘big guns’ to try and salvage a result.

Blues held firm, bolstered by a Grounds header and an excellent penalty under tremendous pressure from Craig Gardner. In fact it would be hard to pick a man of the match from the ten men heroes but probably a tremendous display from Jacques Maghoma would clinch it. Other outstanding displays were from the returning Morrison, Kleftenbeld who played like a man possessed as did Dave Davies.

It was interesting to see the histrionics of Steve Cotterill, who must have used up more energy and passion than Zola did in twenty times more games. Thanks to our neighbours abject performance at Blackburn (how predictable was that?) it’s not over but we’ve now got more than a fighting chance.