Birmingham City 2-0 Derby County: Scott Hogan and Jeremie Bela goals send Blues fourth

3 years ago 30

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Last updated on 8 minutes ago.From the section Championship

Goals 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).