Aston Villa star John McGinn reacts to what Matt Targett did to Birmingham City fans | OneFootball

John McGinn was delighted to see his former Aston Villa teammate Matt Targett score a brace as Middlesbrough defeated Birmingham City

Matt Targett was the unlikely hero as Middlesbrough defeated Birmingham City 3-1 at St Andrew's on Monday to move within five points of Championship leaders Coventry City.

Boro had previously endured a three-game winless run before they clashed with Chris Davies' men, which prompted Kim Hellberg to change his system and utilise wing-backs.

That tactical switch got the very best out of Targett, who doubled his season's goal tally by notching a brace in 26 minutes from the left wing-back position.

Hellberg's side held a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to the former Aston Villa man, and ran out as eventual 3-1 winners, with second-half goals coming from Marvin Ducksch and David Strelec for Birmingham and Boro, respectively.

John McGinn sends cheeky message to Matt Targett as Middlesbrough beat Birmingham City

Targett, a former Villa player, particularly enjoyed scoring against Birmingham and celebrated his goal by taunting Blues supporters.

That caught the attention of his ex-teammate, John McGinn, who tagged the Boro fullback in his Instagram story as he wrote: "Hahaha Tigsy. What a guy. What a cele."

Targett spent three years with Villa, after joining them following their promotion from the Championship in the summer of 2019, and helped them consolidate in the Premier League before moving on to Newcastle United.

He is currently on loan with Boro from the Magpies, having made just five appearances across all competitions for Eddie Howe's men last term.

Middlesbrough could complete smart business by securing the 30-year-old's permanent signature this summer, especially if they win promotion to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough must ensure that Birmingham victory kick-starts another strong run of form

Boro's defeat to title rivals Coventry last month clearly scuppered their momentum, as they went on to endure draws with relegation-threatened Oxford United and Leicester City in their two subsequent fixtures.

The goals had also dried up for Hellberg's side, scoring a total of just two in their encounters with Coventry, Oxford, and Leicester combined.

However, by beating play-off hopefuls Birmingham 3-1 on Monday, Middlesbrough proved that they can still cause high-calibre Championship opponents plenty of problems.

Before losing to Coventry last month, Hellberg's side had enjoyed a six-game winning streak in the second tier, which gave them serious title credentials.

But recent setbacks against Oxford and Leicester now mean that Boro should be more concerned about remaining above Millwall and Ipswich Town to ensure that they land an automatic promotion spot than beating the Sky Blues to the title.

Hellberg's men could use their victory over Birmingham to help springboard them to further victories over Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Bristol City, and Blackburn Rovers this month.

Middlesbrough will be particularly pleased by the fact that Strelec got himself on the scoresheet against Blues, as he has notched just four goals in the Championship this term.

The striker can take confidence from his strike on Monday, and Boro will be in a stronger position to go on and win promotion to the Premier League if the 24-year-old hits form.

With the likes of Millwall and Ipswich breathing down their necks, Hellberg's side may also require more moments of magic from unlikely heroes such as Targett to land a top-two finish.