Birm’ham 2 – 0 Derby

Birmingham continued their impressive ascent to the Sky Bet Championship table when they beat Derby 2-0 on Friday night.

The defensive mix allowed Scott Hogan to lead the Lee Bowyer men (31), and Jeremie Bela’s strong finish was enough to break all hopes of the Battle of Derby (81).

In the middle of the second half, boyfriend Blues fan Troy Deeney – who joined the club from Watford late last month – was called to the delight of St Andrew’s Faithful.

Victory raises Birmingham to fourth, two points behind leader Fulham, before the weekend, while Wayne Rooney’s Derby is in 16th place.

How Birmingham’s gradual rise continued

The first half hour, while competitive, was largely uninterrupted in the West Midlands as both teams shook up the malaise after the September international break and returned to action in front of a home crowd, eagerly awaiting Deeney’s return home.

With the first real opening of the game, Birmingham took the lead – and it was a gift. Lee Buchanan turned and played the ball back to his own area under pressure.

After a moment — albeit briefly — a faint Derby attack came to life. Ramsin’s Captain Tom Lawrence swung in a good chance from the right, but the shot went wide.

Deeney’s possible entrance lifted the entire stadium, but soon after its presentation, Sarkic was invited back into action as guests began to take control, expertly throwing a sink from Buchanan.

But before Rooney’s men were able to carry out any kind of handicap, Birmingham killed the game. In the form of a counterattack, luck saw Sibley try to survive kindly to Bela, who took a neat touch and shot another Rose past.

What the leaders said …

Birmingham Lee Bowyer: “It was very satisfying to get our first three points at home in front of the fans. [We kept] clean sheet, created opportunities, worked very hard in a group – it was very pleasant.

“We had to adjust the press a little after the first minutes, and when we adjusted, we won it in some dangerous areas in the first half and I think they should have been punished more.”

Derby’s Wayne Rooney: “It was really frustrating. We played some OK stuff, but we didn’t create so many clear chances. On the other hand, I don’t think Birmingham did enough to win the game – we let the ball away twice for two goals. We weren’t at our best tonight and didn’t deserve to win.

“The way we try to play comes with mistakes. I know it, I’ve told the players that I take full responsibility for it. If I ask the players to play from behind, but it doesn’t come out, it’s mine. It’s to identify those moments when you can play, but also when you can play forward and play behind. ”

Match man – Tahith Chong

Sky Sportsin Don Goodman:

“This is the first time I’ve seen him live, and I’m really impressed to see him. He’s been excellent and this experience will only help him improve forward.”

What next?

Next, the Derby will be in operation on Tuesday 14 September at 8pm when they meet West Brom at The Hawthorns, while Birmingham will return at 7.45pm the next day as they host Fulham at St Andrew’s. Both matches are live at Sky Sports.