Birmingham City 1 v Reading 3 - EFL Championship

Saturday 7th March 2020

SkyBet EFL Championship

at St. Andrew's Stadium

Birmingham City (1) 1

Scott Hogan 6

Reading (0) 3

Matt Miazga 51, Yakou Meite 56, Judison Gomes 87

Attendance: 19, 525 (inc. 1,277 away fans)

"We have ten games to go... you never know what can happen". So said that nice Mr Pep Clotet himself, in his pre-match press meet and greet get together.
But still, though he's hardly likely to say: "Hey you guys! We've got 'nowt to come now that we're out of the cup, but keep putting bums on seats and turning out in good numbers, while letting the mathematical possibilities run their course"... stranger things have happened.
So dispense with all of the ingrained pessimism, buckle up, brace yourselves, hold on tight and lets see where this white knuckle ride goes. Even though I strongly suspect that everybody already knows the answer to that conundrum.

But, after all is said and done, prior to losing narrowly against a Champions League standard side in Leicester City on Wednesday night, the increasingly popular Spaniard oversaw an unbeaten run of thirteen games in all competitions, so he must be getting something right.
Alas, today proved to be a rocky ride, which after running smoothly for forty five minutes, in spite of some profligacy in front of Reading's goal, came to an abrupt halt a little over five minutes into the second half and end with a resounding bump.
And as of 4.50PM this afternoon, Blues are now on a two game beaten run and have slipped to sixteenth place in the table, even though it's been bloomin' ages since they actually lost a game in the Championship. Mind you, eight teams in the bottom half of the table all moved down at least one place today... obviously, today's visitors weren't amongst them.

No handshakes today... COVID-19 rules apply.

However, Birmingham enjoyed an entirely different kind of win yesterday, when it was announced that an independent panel had ruled that there was to be no case to answer, as regards the EFL wanting to compound last season's nine point deduction with the added interest of another points-snatch... which with Blues sitting (a safe-ish under the circumstances) nine points above the highest placed team in the relegation berths, could've entailed a catastrophic end to the current campaign.
But, thankfully, though it means that there is still a very real need to get a few more points on board, as a belt and braces type of precautionary measure, today's game hadn't quite been granted a 'must win' status.

However, with several games appearing just over the horizon, against teams who will be battling desperately for points to salvage something out of their own seasons, it would pay for Blues to stay focused and not let the ante slip again, like it did after half-time today, not even by the slightest of percentages.
Although to be fair to Reading, they must have necked a whole crate of electrolyte infused isotonic drinks at half time, because they were buzzing their tits off when they came back out after the interval and went on a rampage.

I'm not quite sure what kind of mid-afternoon refreshment the match officials partake in at St. Andrew's though, but it would seemingly include some kind of hallucinogenic substances of the variety that cause psychoactive side effects and a paranoid aversion towards anybody wearing a royal blue shirt.
Yes folks, there was another comedy referee performing out on the St. Andrew's pitch today, but his jaded material must've been aiming for a niche market, because most of his audience didn't find him even in the slightest bit amusing.

Would Blues have won today, san any of Andy Davies' inconsistencies and curious decision making? Probably not actually, given the intensity of the Royals second half display, but... when Blues were denied a fairly obvious penalty as Jude Bellingham was pulled down in the area, while the score was still 1-2 and then John Swift merely had a finger wagged at him for a second yellow card offence, i.e. kicking the ball away to delay a free-kick being taken, the exact same transgression that Blues: Ivan Sunjic had been cautioned for just a few minutes earlier, then I think that I am justified in saying, that these, and numerous other examples of 'errors' by the referee and his assistants, were key moments that did have a bearing on the complexion of the game.

Granted, Blues ought to have struck while the iron was hot and made made more of several gilt-edged chances that they had created during the first half, to put the game out of Reading's reach.
But while there is no guarantee that the hosts would've successfully pulled level from the spot-kick that Mr Davies waved away, or that they would've made good of the extra space that the Royals having gone a man down would've afforded them, the disproportionate amount of these sort of things that have gone against Blues this term, has gone off the Richter Scale now.

When the teams were announced prior to kick off, the visitors captain: Michael Morrison, received a heartfelt cheer from the St. Andrew's faithful, in lieu of the five years service that he had given to Birmingham, after originally joining Blues as an emergency loan signing in 2014, before he left for Reading at the end of last season, after Garry Monk offered him a one-year contract extension when he wanted two.
Earlier this season, when Blues won 2-3 at Reading, Morrison had been on the score sheet, with an own goal! So don't you going believing that daft lot at the back of the visitors seating this afternoon, who were singing: "Michael Morrison, he said you were shit!"
'Morro' seemed to be enjoying the battering that he was getting from Lukas Jutkiewicz today (it was a two-way thing) and will no doubt have a few aches and pains to remember his afternoon by.

In Yakou Meite, the visitors had a big, awkward to play against, physical presence of their own... and though there were those present who didn't entirely approve of the way that he puts himself about, he was one of those type of players that you love to hate when they're playing in the oppositions colours, but would afford cult hero status to, if he was bashing people about for your own teams cause.
To be fair to Meite he kept his antics within the boundaries of: 'firm but borderline fair'... well, most of the time.

Blues started the game well and had by far the better of the first half... and it looked as though they were on their way to a routine home win, when Matt Miazga made of mess dealing with Marc Roberts long ball forward towards Scott Hogan and his attempted header back to Rafael Cabral dropped kindly for Blues prolific striker who lifted it over the exposed Royals keeper. 

George Puscas went close to levelling things up but he shot over the bar from an angle, before Blues picked up where they left off, as Hogan scooped the ball over at the other end, having stretched to get onto the end of Jutkiewicz's knock across the face of the visitors goal.
Jude Bellingham and Dan Crowley were chipping away at the visitors midriff, while Ivan Sunjic shot just past the right hand post and bulged the side netting.

Reading regrouped and Meite's hooked goal-bound shot was turned away by Lee Camp.
Hogan couldn't quite get the final touch onto Crowley's delivery to the back post, while Jutkiewicz and then Gary Gardner almost doubled Blues lead, but both headed the ball narrowly off target. Bellingham, weaved past two Reading challenges before forcing Cabral into a save, but still as half-time arrived, Blues were only the one solitary goal in front.
As the second half got underway, the home side continued to look for that elusive second goal, with Bellingham making himself some space on the left before crossing for Jutkiewicz who diverted his header beyond the reach of Cabral, but just off target.

Crash, bang, wallop!
Out of the blue, the shock troops from Reading arrived... and within the space of five minutes, they had drawn level, then taken the lead.
Andy Rinomhota squeezed a cross into Blues area from out on the right and Miazga moved towards the ball and connected with a sweet right foot volley to guide the ball inside the right hand upright.
Maybe this was the wake up call that Blues needed to up their game in the final third. Hmm... and maybe it wasn't too!
John Swift launched a long free kick forward, that Yakou Meite met on the edge of the six yard box and steered a header past Camp to give Reading the lead

Defending at set pieces and dealing with cumbersome opposition players would appear to be Monday morning's training drill priorities at Wast Hills.

Blues have a well earned reputation as being hard to beat... while several people have pointed out, quite rightly, that during their recent unbeaten run (ten in the league, thirteen in all competitions), they have become 'draw specialists', particularly at home, where they have only won once in the Championship, v. Nottingham Forest on February 1st, since they narrowly beat Luton Town 2-1, on a rain-soaked afternoon in October.

Carbal denied Gary Gardner who unleashed a twenty five yard pile-driver his way, before Bellingham was pulled down in the penalty area... an incident that was spotted quite clearly by at least 18,000 plus would be referee's but not the one carrying the whistle.

Amid a number of goalmouth scrambles, as Blues battled gamely for an equaliser and the Royals fought tooth and nail to repel them, the honours were about even in the pushing and shoving stakes, as the visitors made a string of last ditch challenges. And even when Jutkiewicz went to ground, it was as a result of a 'six and two-thirds' tussle with Miazga... so the referee can't be called out for that particular one.
But then, Mark Bowen's side broke free of the stranglehold that the home side appeared to have on them and with just three minutes remaining, Puscas ventured into Blues half and rolled the ball forward to Garath McCleary, who held it up until precisely the right moment, before threading a well weighted pass into the path of Judison Gomes, who motored forward through the left channel, before cutting inside before Roberts could close him down and curling a shot beyond the outstretched hand of Lee Camp, that nestled just inside the right hand post. Game over!
FT: Birmingham City 1 v Reading 0

Oh well, looks as though my 'Biscuitman Crumble" headline will have to wait until another time.
Blues are scheduled to travel to West Bromwich Albion next weekend, before entertaining Hull City at St. Andrew's on Wednesday 18th March, the latter game is one that the ticket prices have been slashed for: to £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.
Reading are at home against Stoke City on Saturday before they travel to Derby County a week on Tuesday.
Even after all of this time, somebody still shouted out at the end of the game: "Get rid of Pep! We should've kept Garry Monk!". You'd be hard-pushed to find a Sheffield Wednesday fan who'd disagree with that sentiment, after Monk's Owls side were battered 5-0 at Brentford this afternoon.