A first half Danny Koevermans goal saw the Blues to a 1-0 defeat at PSV’s Philips Stadion. Town probably should have been well behind at the break, but put in an improved display in the second half.
The Blues lined up with Alex Bruce replacing the injured Damien Delaney at the centre of the defence with Jaime Peters at right-back and Shane O’Connor on the left. Delaney is set to be out for three months after sustaining a serious leg injury in training on Friday.
A three-man midfield of Grant Leadbitter behind David Norris and Owen Garvan was again employed with Tamás Priskin and Jon Stead on the left and right of Connor Wickham up front. David Norris took the captain’s armband in Jon Walters’s absence due to illness, while Carlos Edwards was with the reserves at Great Yarmouth. Colin Healy missed out due to a hamstring injury.
The game’s first chance came in the third minute when Balazs Dzudzsak crossed from the left and an unmarked Danny Koevermans headed straight at Brian Murphy when he looked destined to score.
A minute later, Jaime Peters sent in a dangerous cross from the right but a defender got across ahead of Tamás Priskin. Moments later, former Manchester City keeper Andreas Isaksson dived low to his right to save Owen Garvan’s low drive.
PSV went ahead on six when Nordin Amrabat crossed from the right and Koevermans turned the ball across Murphy and into the net from the near post.
McAuley blocked an 11th minute Amrabat shot and the PSV winger ought to have made it two on 18 but missed Dzudzsak’s right-wing cross and McAuley put the ball out of play. The home side were giving the Blues a lot of trouble down the right with full-back Stanislav Manolev getting forward unchecked on several occasions, the narrow midfield and left-sided striker Tamás Priskin giving Shane O’Connor little help.
Town’s first serious chance came in the 20th minute when Garvan sent a left-footed cross back into the box after a corner had been cleared and McAuley headed wide.
Ola Toivonen missed another glorious chance to put his side in front in the 23rd minute, breaking from midfield but scuffing his header wide from Otman Bakkal’s left-wing cross.
PSV continued to dominated the game and on 27 Brian Murphy did superbly to tip over Toivonen’s 25-yard strike.
David Norris got his name in referee Makkelie’s book in the 36th minute for a foul on Amrabat, having previously been spoken to by the official for a lunge on Orlando Engelaar.
Town attacks were rare but on 41 Wickham toed the ball to Norris, who fed the on-rushing Garvan, but the Irishman was dispossessed by Manolev.
PSV had a more than decent shout for a penalty just before the beak when Leadbitter looked to have caught Amrabat’s ankle, then moments later Wickham lashed over from 20 yards.
The Blues had been very much second best in a first half dominated by the home side, who deserved to be further in front. The Dutch side showed their greater class, keeping possession comfortably and carving out enough opportunities to be three or four in front.
At half-time PSV showed a film of Sir Bobby Robson’s time in charge at the Philips Stadion, in Dutch aside from the archive footage of Robson’s interviews and press conferences.
The Blues made three changes at the break, O’Connor, Garvan and Stead making way for Jack Ainsley, Luke Hyam, who took the deeper midfield role, and Lee Martin. The former Manchester United man took the left role up front with Priskin moving to the left.
Bulgarian full-back Manolev almost netted in the 51st minute, heading wide having nipped in ahead of Brian Murphy from a corner. Grant Leadbitter sent Town’s first shot of the second period over the bar.
In the 61st minute, Pablo Couñago, Luciano Civelli and Troy Brown replaced Connor Wickham, Jaime Peters and Tamás Priskin. Moments later, PSV’s Belgian defender Timmy Simons, playing his last game for the club before a move to Bundesliga Nurnburg, was chaired off the field by his team-mates and presented with flowers at the side of the pitch before giving a short speech.
Toivonen missed another great opportunity on 68 when sent through on goal. The Swede put the ball low to Murphy’s left but the Irishman gat a hand down to stop it.
Soon after, Luke Hyam picked up a booking for a late tackle and after Koevemens remonstrated with the young midfielder the game briefly threatened to boil over before calm returned.
PSV’s Jagos Vukovic stabbed wide of Murphy’s goal in the 71st minute, the Serbian defender one of many second half substitutions made by the home team.
The second period had been a more even affair, although somewhat disjointed due to the substitutions. On 76 McAuley blocked Dzudzsak’s shot with PSV again guilty of missing a good opportunity.
But Town were also having their moments in front of goal and in the 79th minute a Norris shot was blocked, then McAuley arrived just after a defender as he went after an Ainsley cross.
On 85 Martin seized on a loose ball on halfway and found himself with a clear path to goal until Atiba Hutchison, a Canadian international colleague of Jaime Peters, sped his way back to dispossess the Blues winger.
Martin tore around for the last five minutes or so with the Blues again largely having to watch the home side play keep ball, the referee blowing his whistle to a ripple of applause.
Town had been a better side in the second period but still failed to force keeper Isaksson into a single save. The Dutch side again looked the more dangerous in front of goal and should have been comfortably in the lead on the balance of the first half.
There were few particularly outstanding performances from the Town side. Gareth McAuley made some solid challenges at the back and Brian Murphy made one fine save in a generally safe display. Young sub Luke Hyam started brightly and didn’t look overawed, although he faded as the half wore on, perhaps affected by the booking incident.
Overall, the Blues were probably a bit fortunate to lose by only the single goal, but a defeat to Holland’s third best team is no disgrace for a Championship side.
Highlights of the game are available on the PSV website.
Town: Murphy, Peters (Brown 61), O’Connor (Ainsley 46), Leadbitter, McAuley, Bruce, Stead (Martin 46), Garvan (Hyam 46), Wickham (Couñago 61), Norris, Priskin (Civelli 61). Unused: Lee-Barrett. Att: 13,300.