TOWN 3 BIRMINGHAM 1

By Andy Warren

Jeremy Sarmiento and Omari Hutchinson both scored late as Town secured three important points against Birmingham this afternoon.

Conor Chaplin’s first half goal had been cancelled out by Jordan James before the break, but the Blues came on strong in the second period as Sarmiento and Hutchinson made the points safe.

Sarmientio’s goal came from an excellent move and Axel Tuanzebe cross from the right, before Kieffer Moore flicked on expertly for Hutchinson to run through and finish well.

Town made three changes to the starting XI, with Axel Tuanzebe, Massimo Luongo and Nathan Broadhead all coming into the side and Harry Clarke, Lewis Travis and Jerwemy Sarmiento moving to the bench.

Vaclav Hladkly started in goal, with a back four of Tuanzebe, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis in front of him.

Skipper Sam Morsy was in midfield alongside Luongo, with Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Broadhead lining up behind central striker Kieffer Moore.

Broadhead had the game’s first shot, three minutes in, seeing his effort deflected behind to force a corner which saw Davis deliver and Luongo mop up on the edge of the area, having his shot blocked by his own man en route to goal.

After both sets of supporters joined together on five minutes in support of Town legend and current Birmingham boss Tony Mowbray, who has stepped away due to illness, some clever football from the hosts slipped Moore in. The striker fired over the top, but the warning sign was there.

Clever work from Luongo won a corner, from which Chaplin connected with a diving header which forced an excellent save John Ruddy in the Birmingham goal, before a knock forced Burns off as Omari Hutchinson replaced him.

After getting to grips with the change, Town then found the open on the half hour as, following a patient move, Hutchinson laid the ball off to Morsy, whose shot fell into the path of Chaplin, who cleverly turned the ball home to put his side in front.

Hladky needed to make a smart save, getting down to stop Koji Miyoshi’s shot before punching the resulting corner clear, but Birmingham found an equaliser before the break.

It came following a counter-attack, with a Town attack breaking down in the middle of midfield and the visitors breaking, before the ball was cut back and Jones slammed home.

Chaplin had penalty appeals waved away at the start of the second half, before Tuanzebe headed a corner into the floor and up into the hands of Ruddy.

Morsy and Luongo both joined Burgess on a yellow card during the early minutes of the second period, before a raft of changes saw both sides turn to the bench, as Sarmiento replaced Broadhead for Town.

Hladky needed to be alert to keep out a deflected Leandro Bacuna cross, before the same was needed at the other end as Ruddy needed to watch a well-struck Hutchinson shot all the way to turn it round the post.

Sarmiento was the next to shoot, combining with Hutchinson and Chaplin but firing over the top, before Hladky was called on again to push away a Jay Stansfield shot as Birmingham broke.

Morsy let fly from outside the box, with Ruddy equal to his effort, before Town retook the lead on 81 minutes as a patient move down the right side saw Hutchinson find Tuanzebe on the overlap, before the defender’s low ball was turned home by Sarmiento.

Marcus Harness replaced Chaplin as the board went up for six minutes of added time, with Hutchinson making the points safe as he kept his cool and produced a superb finish to complete the job.

TOWN 3 BIRMINGHAM 1

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