Birmingham City 2 v Sheffield United 1 - EFL Championship

Saturday 21st April 2018

SkyBet EFL Championship

at St. Andrew's Stadium

Birmingham City (1) 2

Marc Roberts 32, Jacques Maghoma 69

Sheffield United (1) 1

Mark Duffy 7

Attendance: 23,579 inc. 2,758 from Sheffield

Birmingham City: 

David Stockdale, Wes Harding, Michael Morrison (C), Marc Roberts, Maxine Colin, Jota, David Davis, Maikel Kieftenbeld (Craig Gardner 60), Jacques Maghoma, Lukas Jutkiewicz (Sam Gallagher 86), Che Adams (Cheikh Ndoye 90+2)
Unused subs - Jonathan Grounds, Josh Dacres-Cogley, Jeremie Boga, Tomasz Kuszczak (GK)
Sheffield United:
Jamal Blackman, Chris Basham, Richard Stearman (C), Jack O’Connell, George Baldock, John Lundstram (Billy Sharp 59), Lee Evans, John Fleck, Enda Stevens; Mark Duffy (David Brooks 70), Clayton Donaldson (James Wilson 81)
Unused subs - Ryan Leonard, Dan Lafferty, Ricky Holmes, Jake Eastwood (GK)

Sheffield United are guaranteed a top half finish in their first season back in the Championship, which I'm quite sure that the vast majority of their supporters would've settled for before the current term, especially given the fact that they are sitting comfortably in the table, a whole thirteen points above their noisy city neighbours from Hillsborough. But the play offs look beyond the Blades now, despite having spent several months flirting with a top six place, unless of course all five of the teams above them don't win any of their remaining fixtures, while Chris Wilder's side pick up maximum points in their final two games, namely: Preston North End at home next Saturday and Bristol City away the Sunday after.

2,758 'Bladesmen from the Lane'

But with all due respect to South Yorkshire's finest (and highest placed) Football League club, today wasn't really about Sheffield United. This was the latest chapter in Blues quest for Championship survival, subtitled: 'the Monk effect', because although optimism levels are going off the scale among the St. Andrew's faithful, the immediate future, as of yet, is still unwritten and a return of just one point from their last three outings, was still an underlying cause for concern, even though Birmingham City are in a much healthier shape than they had even dared to dream of just a couple of month's ago. Of course, having surmounted one stubborn obstacle this afternoon en route to the light at the end of the tunnel, there are still two very awkward ones waiting to be climbed, in the shape of Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road next weekend, and title hopefuls Fulham on home-turf on the final day of the season.

Jota went close to opening the scoring during the opening exchanges, but nudged the ball wide of the target, and it was the visitors who actually struck first in the seventh minute, when Lee Evans played the ball into the path of Mark Duffy, who moved inside to make himself a yard of space and knocked a bobbling shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. It wasn't the most convincing strike of a ball you'll ever see, but the lack of power caught David Stockdale (who was bracing himself to make a save) off guard and however gently the ball reached the back of the net, they all count.
Duffy raced towards the Blues fan in the lower section of the Kop and slid forward, mocking them with a naughty hand gesture and his teammates piled across to join him as the angry mob he was inciting reacted accordingly. The Blades goal scorer then turned his attention to the Tilton Road End to continuing mocking the home support and was subsequently booked.

Football is an emotive game, sprinkled with heat of the moment head losses... Duffy overstepped the mark, but if going a goal behind early in the game wasn't already enough to bring the home support to their feet to make some noise, the actions of the former Birmingham player (a total of four appearances in two years - goals scored none) was enough to light the Blues touch paper and by the time the game restarted three and a bit sides of the ground were up in unison belting out a heartfelt rendition of 'Keep Right On', while the 2,758 celebrating visiting fans belted out their 'Greasy Chip Butty' club anthem to help generate a great atmosphere.
By heck, it was just like the good old t'days, before satellite telly and over inflated prices sanitised football and excluded the boisterous hordes... well they had all stood their ground and found their voices again today, when it mattered. Though to be fair, that usually applies to the followers of both of these two clubs.

Wall mural, in the Happy Abode bar situated underneath the Kop

United came close to adding a second goal, but Stockdale tipped over a shot from Evans at full stretch, while John Fleck was a matter of inches away from connecting with George Baldock's delivery from the right wing.

Nails were being bitten down to the knuckle in the Kop and the guy beside me reckoned that he had aged ten years in the past half a hour, but Blues were building up a head of steam now and displaying a 'guts and glory' (Garry Monk's own words) mindset as they battled their way back into the game.

Che Adams, who himself is a former Blades (and Ilkeston Town) player, set up a shooting opportunity for Maikel Kieftenbeld, who crashed a powerful shot that took two deflections and dipped over the bar.

Jota's close control and ability to change speed and direction at will, were causing the visitors problems, lots of problems, but even his unstinting efforts were surpassed by those of Jacques Maghoma, who picked out Michael Morrison with a free kick that forced a save out of Jamal Blackman. Moment's later Jota was fouled by John Lundstram and opted to take responsibility for the free kick that he'd won, but drilled the ball into the visitors defensive wall.
In the thirty second minute, Maghoma took a corner from the left, that bounced across the United six yard box via Jutkiewicz's cheeky back-heel, to where Marc Roberts calmly diverted it past Blackman from close range, to claim his first ever goal in a Blues shirt and level things up... and United were made to see the remainder of the half out on the back foot.
HT: Blues 1 v Blades 1

Inside the first minute of the second half, Blackman turned away Jutkiewicz's header down by his post, after he'd reached Jota's cross ahead of his marker... but the visitors defensive ranks crowded out Jutkiewicz moments later when once again, Jota had put him through with a sideways pass.
Maghoma couldn't keep his angled shot on target as Maxime Colin threaded the ball through to him just inside the Blades area, while Wes Harding, who is growing in stature all the time, was on hand to nick the ball off of Clayton Morrison, as he paced towards Stockdale's goal with Morrison trying to block him off.
Craig O'Connell tangled with Adams and Blues were awarded a free kick, for what looked to be nothing worse than two players both going for a 50/50 challenge. But substitute Craig Gardner thumped the resulting set piece delivery into the visitors wall.
The hosts were pressing high, with the home faithful lifting the volume and willing them to force the issue.

Jota slipped a pass out wide to Adams, but Blackman collected his cross well under pressure.
But Adams next delivery was a touch of class, as he lifted the ball over the visitors defence for Maghoma to run onto and he calmly picked up his pace, drew Blackman from his line and belted the ball, low, hard, straight and under the United keeper, to spark of what I believe is colloquially known as 'scenes'. The lid had well and truly blown off of a pressure cooker of tension, relief and unrestrained joy, with arms and legs flailing akimbo all over the place. A big lump of a guy two rows down from me even blacked out momentarily and was lifted back to his feet by complete strangers... and a middle aged and respectfully dressed lady that I had never seen before in my entire life (or since, I hasten to add), embraced me tightly, kissed me on top of my head and told me that she loved me, before vanishing back up the stairs.

The last time a woman told me that and I followed her upstairs, I became a father nine months later... but there were still twenty one minutes left to play here, so I stood my ground and opted to see the game out instead.
While all the euphoria around the ground was reaching a crescendo, Chris Wilder substituted Mark Duffy, but the Birmingham fans didn't want to make him feel left out, so they broke off celebrating for a few moments and the best part of twenty thousand people serenaded him from the pitch: "Wanker! Wanker! Wanker!"
When another former Blues player, Clayton Donaldson, was replaced by James Wilson, with ten minutes remaining, he received a rapturous ovation from Blades and Blues fans alike and is obviously still highly thought of round these parts. 

Billy Sharp added some spice to the visitors front line after coming on during the afternoon, but even he, with is knackof weighing in with important goals when it really matters, was unable to add the finishing touch to a couple of half decent forward moves.
Harding almost added a third late in the game, when his effort deflected off of Blackman and rolled narrowly wide of the post.
United wanted the points just as much as their hosts and even Blackman joined in with the Blades last attack, deep into the six minutes of added time, that had almost caused several coronary incidents around the ground when it was announced, but Blues kept working their nuts off right until the final whistle to claim a vital win, that lifted them five points above the relegation places with just two games left to play. It's up for grabs now!
FT: Birmingham City 2 v Sheffield United 1

This incident packed win, means Blues fate this season is now in their own hands, especially as Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley both lost this afternoon, to the newly crowned champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United respectively, while Reading lost to the lesser club in Sheffield (Wednesday) and are now only ahead of Garry Monk's side on goal difference.
In midweek, Barnsley head to Nottingham Forest, to play their game in hand over Blues. It the Tykes should win at the City Ground, that would cut Birmingham's safety margin to just three points and push Bolton into the drop zone. Bolton themselves, travel to second bottom Burton Albion next weekend, while the Brewers confirmed Sunderland's (second successive) relegation today, by virtue of a 1-2 win at the Stadium of Light.

The other game this coming Saturday, that might still have any bearing on the bottom of the table sees Reading host mid table Ipswich Town.

I will be at Queens Park Rangers v Blues next week, where the home side have opted to give the visitors just 1,800 tickets, while leaving the lower tier of the end of the ground Birmingham fans will be occupying empty. 

As stupid decisions go, the one regarding away ticket allocations at Loftus Road for what is such an important game for the 'Second City' club is completely unfathomable.