Gardner is City’s cup hero

LIFELONG Birmingham fan Craig Gardner sent City through to their first major Wembley final for 55 years with an extra-time winner in the Carling Cup semi-final clash with West Ham United at St Andrew’s.

Gardner’s goal – via Robert Green’s blunder – capped a dramatic comeback by Alex McLeish’s side who had fallen 3-1 behind on aggregate after Carlton Cole’s superb first-half strike.

Lee Bowyer and Roger Johnson forced the game into extra-time before Gardner’s moment of glory.

Gardner said: “It’s unbelievable, you dream of these things.

“I was saying to my mates I wanted to get the winner to take us there and to do it was unbelievable.’’ Keeper Ben Foster admitted Birmingham had done things the hard way, saying: “As always, it takes a goal against to get us going.

“(The final) will be a great event for the fans, it’s been a while and for a lot of the lads, it may be the only time we play in a final.

“We’ve got nothing to lose, its a one-off game and anything can happen. We’ve just got to play like we did in the second half and hopefully get the result.”

West Ham were the better side in the opening 45 minutes with Cole causing them plenty of problems.

But City were transformed after the interval with substitute Nikola Zigic causing plenty of problems after his half-time introduction and with Barry Ferguson pulling the strings in midfield.