3 years ago
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Troy Deeney scored his first after little more than 60 secondsBirmingham City skipper Troy Deeney proved the matchwinner on a freezing cold night at St Andrew's as his early double helped beat Paul Ince's Reading.
Deeney's second-minute opener, followed by a 23rd minute penalty and Tahith Chong's first goal of the season, earned Blues a commanding half-time lead.
But, although Lucas Joao got one back on 83 minutes and then Tom Ince added another four minutes into stoppage time, John Eustace's Blues hung on for their eighth win of the season to move up to seventh in the Championship.
Blues got off to a dream start in only the second minute - and it owed a bit to luck.
Mamadou Loum tried to block Juninho Bacuna's low right-wing cross but it flicked up off his elevated boot, lobbed into the danger area and Deeney was alert enough to hook home with his right foot from close range.
Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy then had to make two key saves to deny Andy Yiadom and Yakou Meite before Deeney doubled Blues' lead from the penalty spot.
It came after Naby Sarr's sliding challenge allowed Deeney to attempt an athletic vault - and he ended up falling to the ground. Whether he was angling for it or not, he quickly got back up off the floor to fire home right-footed from the spot.
It then became 3-0 on 36 minutes when Amadou Mbengue made a mess of dealing with a long seemingly harmless ball forward, allowing Chong to run in and finish with his left foot for his first goal since March.
Reading were much improved after the break, without much reward, Deeney actually going closest to adding to the goal tally and claiming his hat-trick when he fired a foot wide.
But Andy Carroll's late introduction from the bench had the desired effect. And, with seven minutes left, it was the former Newcastle and England striker's header back across goal from Ince which created the chance for Joao to nod home in a scramble.
Ince then sparked a nervous few moments when his low shot trickled in through a forest of legs deep into the five minutes of injury time.
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 21Ruddy
- 28Sanderson
- 4Roberts
- 5Trusty
- 31BielikBooked at 44mins
- 2Colin
- 7BacunaSubstituted forJamesat 68'minutes
- 6MejbriSubstituted forBellinghamat 76'minutes
- 23LongeloSubstituted forGrahamat 90+1'minutes
- 8Deeney
- 18Chong
Substitutes
- 1Etheridge
- 10Jutkiewicz
- 11Graham
- 14Leko
- 19James
- 27Bellingham
- 42Chang
Reading
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 1Lumley
- 27MbengueSubstituted forHoilettat 60'minutes
- 24Sarr
- 5McIntyre
- 22Loum
- 17YiadomBooked at 90mins
- 10Ince
- 8Hendrick
- 12BabaSubstituted forGuinness-Walkerat 79'minutes
- 7LongSubstituted forLucas Joãoat 59'minutes
- 11MeiteSubstituted forCarrollat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Carroll
- 9Lucas João
- 15Azeez
- 18Guinness-Walker
- 19Fornah
- 21Bouzanis
- 23Hoilett
Live Text
Match ends, Birmingham City 3, Reading 2.
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 3, Reading 2.
Andy Yiadom (Reading) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Andy Yiadom (Reading).
Troy Deeney (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal! Birmingham City 3, Reading 2. Tom Ince (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Andy Yiadom.
Nesta Guinness-Walker (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Maxime Colin (Birmingham City).
Foul by Andy Yiadom (Reading).
Troy Deeney (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Jordan Graham replaces Emmanuel Longelo because of an injury.
Foul by Andy Carroll (Reading).
Dion Sanderson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Naby Sarr (Reading).
Troy Deeney (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andy Yiadom (Reading).
Tahith Chong (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Naby Sarr (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Troy Deeney (Birmingham City).
Goal! Birmingham City 3, Reading 1. Lucas João (Reading) header from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Jeff Hendrick.
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