SkyBet EFL Championship
at St. Andrew's Stadium
Birmingham City (1) 2
Lukas Jutkiwicz 3
Harlee Dean 47
West Bromwich Albion (1) 3
Grady Diangana 10
Charlie Austin 73, 81
Attendance: 20,796 (inc. 2,768 away fans)
Point & hope random order photo gallery: click HERE
Connal Trueman, Kristian Pedersen, Maxime Colin, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Jeremie Bela (Jefferson Montero 84), Harlee Dean, Jude Bellingham (Gary Gardner 74) Alvaro Gimenez, David Davis, Ivan Sunjic (Josh McEachran, 84), Geraldo Bajrami
Unused subs - Lee Camp, Wes Harding, Fran Villalba, Jacques Maghoma.
West Bromwich Albion:
Sam Johnstone, Hal Robson-Kanu, Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi, Jake Livermore (C), Matt Phillips (Charlie Austin 70), Mattheus Pereira, Conor Townsend (Darnell Furlong 61), Romaine Sawyers, Grady Diangana (Kyle Edwards 40), Nathan Ferguson.
Unused subs - Jonathan Bond (GK), Filip Krovinovic, Gareth Barry, Ahmed Hagazi
On Wednesday night, Blues struggled to get going against Queens Park Rangers and subsequently slumped to a disappointing 0-2 defeat at St. Andrew's. Having had time to reflect, instead of succumbing to the temptation to jump in feet first (studs showing n' all that) and being overly critical in the aftermath of that lacklustre performance and abject capitulation by Pep Clotet's side, my more considered opinion of events, is that, it was by far the worst that I have seen Birmingham City play while Clotet has been at the helm (either officially or in an interim capacity).
Looking for any positives, from a Blues perspective, out of such a dismal car-crash of a showing, proved to be a virtually impossible task. Mainly because there wasn't any.
So it is maybe for the best, if l leave my thoughts on the matter hanging right there... and dismiss what happened against QPR, as a 'one-off' bad night at the office for 'the boys in royal blue', against a well organised, side who turned up and did a professional job on them.
Realistically speaking, this is transitional season for Clotet's side, whereby I don't think anybody expects them to either be dragged into a relegation scrap, or competing for promotion... and to that end, all the ups and downs of this current term, have to be viewed as constituent parts of a bigger picture, encompassing a steep learning curve, and a long term plan building process.
So it is maybe for the best, if l leave my thoughts on the matter hanging right there... and dismiss what happened against QPR, as a 'one-off' bad night at the office for 'the boys in royal blue', against a well organised, side who turned up and did a professional job on them.
Realistically speaking, this is transitional season for Clotet's side, whereby I don't think anybody expects them to either be dragged into a relegation scrap, or competing for promotion... and to that end, all the ups and downs of this current term, have to be viewed as constituent parts of a bigger picture, encompassing a steep learning curve, and a long term plan building process.
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| Don Goodman - he always enjoys coming to St. Andrew's |
Meanwhile, while QPR were celebrating picking up three points on their travels, Albion were being held to a 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic... a result which saw them stay in second place (on goal difference) in the Championship table, behind Leeds United, who had beaten Hull City 2-0 at Elland Road the previous night.
Though the Baggies had to come from behind to clinch a point against the twenty-third placed Latics, when a win would've put them two points clear at the top, the draw marked an eleventh unbeaten game in a row for Slaven Bilic's title-chasing team, which boded well as some measure of consolation.
Though the Baggies had to come from behind to clinch a point against the twenty-third placed Latics, when a win would've put them two points clear at the top, the draw marked an eleventh unbeaten game in a row for Slaven Bilic's title-chasing team, which boded well as some measure of consolation.
Seriously though, just how open and unpredictable is this crazy, always in a complete state of complete flux division?
Blues got off to a flying start, when Lukas Jutkiewicz, restored to the starting eleven this afternoon, scored in the third minute of this passionate and full blooded encounter.
Jude Bellingham's left wing corner was only cleared as far as Maxime Colin, who took the ball in his stride and motored forward on the right, before crossing towards the back-post, where he instinctively knew Jutkiewicz would be waiting... and the popular Blues number ten rose majestically above Nathan Ferguson to plant a thumping header into the back of the Baggies net.
The eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing 'tippy-tappy football' that Birmingham have been endeavouring to implement this season, is highly entertaining, but it was good to see a tried and tested 'get it to the big man at the back stick' routine paying off too.
Albion hit back in the tenth minute, when the second of a brace of Matheus Pereira corner kicks in quick succession, found it's way through to Matt Phillips, who was afforded the time and space to shoot across the face of Connal Trueman's gal drilled across the face of goal and Grady Diangana added the final touch to bulge the roof of the net from close range.
Phiilips' shot might well have gone in of it's own accord, but in making sure, I was convinced that Diangana had rendered the strike inert, because he netted from an offside position. But the match officials thought otherwise and it was 1-1.
VAR is proving immensely unpopular in the Premier League, but it would've cleared up a whole lot of debate over a whole myriad of tenuous decisions at St. Andrew's, this season.
Although he's already made a first team start in the Carabao Cup game at Portsmouth earlier this season: Geraldo Bajrami, yet another player who has come through the ranks of Steve Spooner's academy sides, made his Championship debut in the heart of a defensive back four today, alongside Blues captain Harlee Dean. Apart from almost playing himself into trouble with his very first touch, when he tried to be over elaborate, the Birmingham born youngster, never put a foot wrong wrong and fitted seamlessly into what was a 4-2-3-1 system. Bajrami's Albanian parents had only been in England for two weeks when he was born, having fled from war-torn Kosovo.
The influx of young talent along with the early season signings must cause something of a selection dilemma for Pep Clotet at times, but having strength in depth across the whole pitch is never a bad thing.
Diangana, Albion's loan signing from West Ham United, limped out of the game towards half time, with a hamstring pull and as Blues finished the half on the front foot, the visitors had their keeper Sam Johnstone to thank, for keeping the scores level, when he denied Kristian Pedersen, who had been put through on goal by a well weighted knock from Bellingham.
The home side were straight into West Brom's midriff after the restart and restored their lead two minutes into the second half, when Dean climbed above Conor Townsend and headed Bellingham's left wing corner back across the face of the Albion goal, where the combine attentions of Ferguson and Johnstone couldn't do anything to stop it crossing the line.
It would seem that everyone in the ground knew exactly who was winning this game, apart from the guy operating the scoreboard, who had to rectify his error while the visiting fans sang: "Two-one, to the Albion!"
Apparently Dean swore towards some Blues fans in the Tilton Road End as he celebrated his goal, but... he's been criticised by a few people on social media recently, so, in my humble opinion, he was just letting off steam in the heat of a euphoric moment.
If you don't get emotional about football from time to time (and we all do, from time to time), then you shouldn't be involved in the game, because you obviously don't care enough. Just saying.
It's over and done with, move on.
Alas, Slaven Bilic's team aren't at the top of the pile for nothing... and in the seventieth minute, on came their talisman like, in-form, 'super-sub' striker: Charlie Austin. And he was about to turn this game on it's head.
He'd only been on the pitch long enough for a chorus of: "Who are ya!?" from the St. Andrew's faithful, when he picked up a pass from Jake Livermore, flicked the ball in the air and crashed a right-foot volley past Trueman from all of twenty yards out.
During his lengthy playing career, Paul Furlong had made 131 appearances for Blues, between 1996 and 2002, scoring a half-century of goals along the way. A year before his move from Chelsea to St. Andrew's, he fathered a son: Darnell. The exact same Darnell Furlong who this afternoon, delivered a pinpoint right wing cross towards Austin, who'd peel away from the hosts defence to head home what turned out to be this afternoon's winning goal.
Austin's two goal haul, meant he's now scored six times in his last five appearances for Albion, after a shaky start to the season at the Hawthorns, where he arrived at the start of the season for a fee of £4 million from Southampton, who of course,took Che Adams from Blues at the same time. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but just imagine if Adams at gone south for a player plus cash deal with Austin heading to Birmingham. The 'nice football but we need another striker' conundrum would've been provided with an answer then.
Meanwhile, as Austin proved the be the difference between the two sides, in a game that had seen Blues deservedly take the lead in twice; Clotet's side, who haven't won at home now for four consecutive games and only have one win to show for their efforts in the last eight games overall, were left to lament what might've been, from what had been an excellent performance against a very good Albion side.
FT: Birmingham City 2 v West Bromwich Albion 3
Jude Bellingham's left wing corner was only cleared as far as Maxime Colin, who took the ball in his stride and motored forward on the right, before crossing towards the back-post, where he instinctively knew Jutkiewicz would be waiting... and the popular Blues number ten rose majestically above Nathan Ferguson to plant a thumping header into the back of the Baggies net.
The eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing 'tippy-tappy football' that Birmingham have been endeavouring to implement this season, is highly entertaining, but it was good to see a tried and tested 'get it to the big man at the back stick' routine paying off too.
Phiilips' shot might well have gone in of it's own accord, but in making sure, I was convinced that Diangana had rendered the strike inert, because he netted from an offside position. But the match officials thought otherwise and it was 1-1.
VAR is proving immensely unpopular in the Premier League, but it would've cleared up a whole lot of debate over a whole myriad of tenuous decisions at St. Andrew's, this season.
Diangana, Albion's loan signing from West Ham United, limped out of the game towards half time, with a hamstring pull and as Blues finished the half on the front foot, the visitors had their keeper Sam Johnstone to thank, for keeping the scores level, when he denied Kristian Pedersen, who had been put through on goal by a well weighted knock from Bellingham.
It would seem that everyone in the ground knew exactly who was winning this game, apart from the guy operating the scoreboard, who had to rectify his error while the visiting fans sang: "Two-one, to the Albion!"
If you don't get emotional about football from time to time (and we all do, from time to time), then you shouldn't be involved in the game, because you obviously don't care enough. Just saying.
It's over and done with, move on.
Alas, Slaven Bilic's team aren't at the top of the pile for nothing... and in the seventieth minute, on came their talisman like, in-form, 'super-sub' striker: Charlie Austin. And he was about to turn this game on it's head.
During his lengthy playing career, Paul Furlong had made 131 appearances for Blues, between 1996 and 2002, scoring a half-century of goals along the way. A year before his move from Chelsea to St. Andrew's, he fathered a son: Darnell. The exact same Darnell Furlong who this afternoon, delivered a pinpoint right wing cross towards Austin, who'd peel away from the hosts defence to head home what turned out to be this afternoon's winning goal.
Meanwhile, as Austin proved the be the difference between the two sides, in a game that had seen Blues deservedly take the lead in twice; Clotet's side, who haven't won at home now for four consecutive games and only have one win to show for their efforts in the last eight games overall, were left to lament what might've been, from what had been an excellent performance against a very good Albion side.
FT: Birmingham City 2 v West Bromwich Albion 3
Ultimately, Blues bounced back well from the disappointment of Wednesday night's no-show and gave it a bloody good go, against arguably the best team in the Championship at this present time... the league table and a twelve game unbeaten run quantifies such a status, methinks.
Austin was given far too much of a 'right to roam' in the final third, but Birmingham aren't the first Championship side he's done a job on of late... and they probably won't be the last either.
Austin was given far too much of a 'right to roam' in the final third, but Birmingham aren't the first Championship side he's done a job on of late... and they probably won't be the last either.
Hull City, who picked up a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic last night, await Blues, at the KCOM Stadium next Saturday, while Albion have a home game against fourth placed Brentford on the same afternoon.
Wherever you're going... enjoy your football.
Wherever you're going... enjoy your football.
