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Last updated on 8 minutes ago.From the section Championship
Troy Deeney takes his instructions from Birmingham manager Lee Bowyer as he comes on for his Blues debutGoals from Scott Hogan and Jeremie Bela helped Birmingham City beat Derby County and move up to fourth in the Championship.
Hogan grabbed his third of the season from close range in the first half before Bela secured the win late on.
Derby had more possession but apart from one Tom Lawrence effort in the second half, they struggled to create chances and drop to 16th.
Troy Deeney made his Birmingham debut as a second-half substitute.
All the attention before the game was on Deeney, who had joined the club he supported as a boy, just before the end of the summer transfer window to end his 11-year association with Watford.
But he was only a sub as manager Lee Bowyer opted to continue with Lukas Jutkiewicz and Hogan up front, and it was the former Brentford and Aston Villa man who put his side ahead.
However, it came from a bad backpass by Rams left-back Lee Buchanan, which put Jutkiewicz in on goal. He was denied initially by goalkeeper Kelle Roos, but the ball was worked across to Hogan, who made no mistake from close range.
That played into the hands of Bowyer's team and a second goal on a counter-attack from Bela wrapped things up. At the other end, it was a fourth clean sheet in six games and no team has conceded fewer in the Championship than their three goals.
But it also highlighted Derby's problems in attack, despite enjoying 67% possession. Lawrence was closest when he forced a second-half save out of Matija Sarkic in the Blues goal, but only Sheffield United have scored fewer than Wayne Rooney's team, who have managed just four in their six matches.
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 3-4-3
- 13Sarkic
- 4Roberts
- 12Dean
- 3Pedersen
- 2Colin
- 34SunjicBooked at 57mins
- 6Woods
- 11Bela
- 7Chong
- 10JutkiewiczSubstituted forDeeneyat 68'minutes
- 9HoganSubstituted forGardnerat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Friend
- 15Aneke
- 18McGree
- 20Gardner
- 21Sanderson
- 27Trueman
- 36Deeney
Derby
Formation 4-3-3
- 21Roos
- 2Byrne
- 6Jagielka
- 33Davies
- 26Buchanan
- 11MorrisonBooked at 76mins
- 4ShinnieBooked at 24minsSubstituted forStrettonat 45'minutes
- 8Bird
- 17SibleySubstituted forWilliamsat 82'minutes
- 9Baldock
- 10LawrenceBooked at 76minsSubstituted forKnightat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 16Stearman
- 31Allsop
- 32Brown
- 34Stretton
- 35Watson
- 38Knight
- 43Williams
Referee:Gavin Ward
Attendance:14,912
Live Text
Match ends, Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0.
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0.
Offside, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner tries a through ball, but Maxime Colin is caught offside.
Nathan Byrne (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City).
Jason Knight (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ryan Woods (Birmingham City).
Ravel Morrison (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ivan Sunjic (Birmingham City).
Jason Knight (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gary Gardner (Birmingham City).
Substitution, Derby County. Jason Knight replaces Tom Lawrence.
Substitution, Derby County. Dylan Williams replaces Louie Sibley.
Goal! Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0. Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
Foul by Jack Stretton (Derby County).
Kristian Pedersen (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Nathan Byrne (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City).
Jack Stretton (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tahith Chong (Birmingham City).
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