Tuesday 30th August 2022
EFL Championship
Birmingham City (0) 1
Scott Hogan 50
Norwich City (0) 2
Andrew Omobamidele 63, Onel Hernández 90+3
Attendance: 16,156 (inc. 1,685 away fans)
Birmingham City:
John Ruddy, Dion Sanderson, Marc Roberts, Auston Trusty, Jordan Graham, Alfie Chang, Gary Gardner (George Hall 52), Juninho Bacuna (Jordan James 88), Josh Williams (Tate Campbell 88), Scott Hogan (Hannibal 60), Troy Deeney (Captain).
Unused subs - Neil Etheridge, Jonathan Leko, Jobe Bellingham
Norwich City:
Tim Krul, Max Aarons, Andrew Omobamidele, Grant Hanley (captain), Sam Byram (Todd Cantwell 84), Danel Sinani (Teemu Pukki 58), Marcelino Nunez, Kenny McLean, Aaron Ramsey (Gabriel Sara 74), Kieran Dowell (Onel Hernandez 58), Josh Sargent (Adam Idah 84).
Unused subs - Angus Gunn, Ben Gibson
Three weeks ago, Norwich knocked Birmingham out of the League Cup at Carrow Road; eventually going through on penalties, after Blues had overturned a two-goal deficit to draw the game 2-2. It was a night that Jonathan Leko scored his first ever goal for the club, after initially winning the ball in his home half, before advancing towards the Canaries goal and tucking the ball past Angus Gunn (the son of Bryan, the former Norwich keeper) into the bottom right hand corner of the net. Gunn had the last laugh of the night however, when he saved Leko's spot-kick during the shoot-out.
Tonight's Championship encounter was a role reversal of the recent cup game, with Blues initially taking the lead in the fiftieth minute, when Jordan Graham lobbed the ball forward down the left flank for Juninho Bacuna to take in his stride, before powering forward and delivering a cross that took a slight deflection off Andrew Omobamidele and reached Scott Hogan who held off Tim Krul to prod the ball into the back of the net from close range.The lead lasted just thirteen minutes, when Omobamidele levelled things up with a scrappy equaliserr.
Onel Hernandez did well for Birmingham last season, on his loan spell from Norwich, but there was to be no old pals act tonight, when deep into stoppage time, he linked up with Teemu Pukki and rifled the ball past John Ruddy to claim all three points for the visitors, before ripping off his shirt and running towards the visiting supporters in his sports bra. Chloe Kelly should have patented this kind of celebration at this years Euros.
Onel Hernandez did well for Birmingham last season, on his loan spell from Norwich, but there was to be no old pals act tonight, when deep into stoppage time, he linked up with Teemu Pukki and rifled the ball past John Ruddy to claim all three points for the visitors, before ripping off his shirt and running towards the visiting supporters in his sports bra. Chloe Kelly should have patented this kind of celebration at this years Euros.
Birmingham were unlucky not to have got anything out of a game in which they had given their all against the high-flying Canaries. But Hernandez's ruthlessness right at the death, demonstrated the difference between his team climbing up to second in the table tonight, while Blues slid into the bottom three.
FT: Birmingham City 1 v Norwich City 0
Norwich entertain currently winless Coventry City at Carrow Road on Saturday, while Blues travel to unbeaten Preston North End. "Two home bankers", reckons my missus.
It's still early days (as of yet), but John Eustace's side really need to rip up the form book and start getting some points on board, before this season goes the same way that the last few have.
Fingers (and everything else) crossed for some late transfer window action, eh!? But I won't hold my breath.
