Caldwell had played in a largely untroubled Birmingham defence whilst Elliott had a watching brief as an unused substitute and how on earth he isn't deemed good enough to earn a regular place in either of these two sides is one only the managers can explain.
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| Marvin Bartley - good goal to bring Burnley level |
They nearly didn't come out on the winning side either with the Clarets within just a couple of minutes of returning home with a valuable point, but it was not to be as we ended the game as we started it by giving a goal away.
Burnley made the two changes I expected from the team that lost to Leeds. Sam Vokes got his first start as replacement for the injured Charlie Austin whilst Junior Stanislas, who had a woeful afternoon on Saturday, made way for fit again Ross Wallace.
It didn't take us long to get into our stride with Birmingham in front in only the second minute. Chris Burke picked the ball up some 35-yards out and, with the aid of one 1-2, was allowed to simply walk into our box beyond the entire defence.
He should, undoubtedly have scored, but gave Lee Grant a chance which the keeper too, getting down to it and managing to save it via the crossbar. There was no escape though with Jean Beausejour latching on to the ball and smashing it into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
When you are out of form and confidence is low it's the last thing you want but there we were, behind so soon in the game and against a side that has conceded only twice at home all season.
What followed was frightening. By half time Birmingham should have been out of sight and no one could have complained had we gone in with a four goal deficit. Thankfully, Birmingham weren't very good. They gave the ball away far too easily, far too often, and in front of goal they had a night to forget.
Defending against a side with a player as tall as Serbian striker Nikola Zigic can be difficult. He's listed at 6ft 8ins tall so you would expect him to be good in the air. This morning I was discussing the merits of John Pender and Steve Davis when confronted by Stockport's Kevin Francis. They made it as difficult as they possibly could for him.
Last night we appeared at times to take an opposite stance and leave him on his own. I lost count of the number of headers he won unmarked and also lost count of the number of poor headers that should certainly have seen him on the scoresheet.
Even so, he set up the easiest chance of the night for Marlon King and watched his fellow striker miss it. If anyone was at St. Andrew's for the John Spicer goal in 2007 you'll know what happened here.
Then, Spicer robbed Martin Taylor. This time Zigic caught David Edgar in possession and suddenly a second goal looked a certainty. Zigic opted to play in King rather than shoot and somehow King managed to place his shot with unerring accuracy just wide of the post.
Half time came at 1-0 and that was relief all round. At just a goal down you are always in the game and so it proved with less than four minutes of the second half clock gone.
Burnley won a corner on the right taken by Wallace. He played it short to Keith Treacy, got it back and crossed into the six yard box. It was headed out despite the defender having his shirt tugged by Vokes.
It reached Marvin Bartley just outside the box. He opted for a volley and made an excellent contact on the ball. It shot towards goal through a crowded box, got a deflection, and flew into the top of the net.
Incredible, here we were level in the game with most of the second half to go. For a short time we had more of the play but in truth it rarely threatened to bear fruit. Even so, for a while, we weren't under the cosh and for much of the second half a point, at least, looked a distinct possibility.
We opted for a change with Dean Marney coming on. At that stage I'd have brought off Vokes and tightened up the midfield, but it was a straight swap for a clearly unimpressed Chris McCann. Birmingham opted to show the touchline scene on the big screen as the captain let the management team know he wasn't best pleased.
Marney went down injured almost immediately and appeared to be clutching his hamstring, prompting the arrival on the touchline of Andre Amougou. The midfielder managed to run it off and continue, seeing out the game.
As Amougou looked on, with what looked for ages to be another imminent substitution, Birmingham really decided to go looking for a winner. Much of their play came down the right wing and I have to say Treacy turned in an outstanding defensive display. Often accused of not tracking back; he was covering, getting in clearances and even winning tackles, one of which was outstanding after he'd covered some distance to get there.
Birmingham were running out of ideas. We were heading towards what, for the first half at least, looked an unlikely point.
Then came the substitution. Amougou did get on, just as we were defending a free kick into our box. The man going off was Treacy who had marshalled Burke so well.
Up went the board for three minutes, but Birmingham only needed one. They came down the left with left back David Murphy, It was all too easy for him as Wallace, Kieran Trippier were passed. Then he skipped past Amougou in the box and played the ball across for the totally unmarked Burke to hit the winner.
Yes, it was heartbreaking, but it was so avoidable and we'd simply thrown away another point with poor defending.
We should have had four points from these last two games and that would have seen us in mid-table and yet, with two defeats and no points the only word on the lips of Burnley fans last night was relegation, that was until the two former players came over. The reception, both ways, was warm and genuine for those two players who played such a massive part in our success of three seasons ago. I was just wishing they'd both still been in claret and blue last night.
As it is, we're edging ever closer to that bottom three and apparently still prepared to wait for the men we want rather than get the squad strengthened quickly. We've two days to the loan window closing and if we do nothing we face the next seven games with the same players.
The teams were;
Birmingham: Boaz Myhill, Stephen Carr, Curtis Davis, Steven Caldwell, David Murphy, Chris Burke, Keith Fahey, Jonathan Spector, Jean Beausejour (Nathan Redmond 69), Nikola Zigic, Marlon King (Chris Wood 88). Subs not used: Colin Doyle, Pablo Ibáñez, Wade Elliott.
Yellow Card: David Murphy.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace, Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann (Dean Marney 59), Keith Treacy (Andre Amougou 88), Sam Vokes, Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Jon Stewart, Zavon Hines, Junior Stanislas.
Yellow Card: Brian Easton.
Referee: Bobby Madley (Ossett).
Attendance: 16,253.