Middlesbrough strike early to stay second at Birmingham | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Birmingham City 1-3 Middlesbrough at St Andrew's, decided by a ruthless away start. Matt Targett opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a left-footed finish from the centre of the box, then struck again (26.). Marvin Ducksch gave Birmingham hope soon after the restart (48.). Boro were ruthless, converting all three shots on target. David Strelec restored the cushion (60.) as Boro stay second and visit Queens Park Rangers next, while Birmingham drop from 11th to 12th and head to Charlton Athletic.

Player of the Match: Matt Targett scored a first half brace from his two shots and added seven successful final third passes, setting the platform for Boro's win.

Stat of the Match: Sol Brynn produced six saves, the backbone of Boro's result under sustained pressure.

Three Things We Learned: Birmingham finished with 60.2% possession and seven shots on target but could not turn pressure into points. Crossing lacked punch for Birmingham, who delivered 25 crosses at 16.0% accuracy. Dael Fry dominated his box for Boro with nine aerials won and 14 clearances.