Birmingham City 1-3 Middlesbrough: FLW report as Targett double helps Boro earn vital win vs Blues | OneFootball

FLW report from St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park for this Championship clash

Middlesbrough recorded a timely first Championship victory in four games with a 3-1 success over Birmingham City at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park on Monday night.

After stumbling in their three previous games and seeing all their promotion rivals accrue three points on Saturday, Kim Hellberg's side became just the second time to emerge from B9 victorious against Chris Davies' Blues in a league fixture.

They were set on their way by a first-half double from Newcastle United loanee, Matt Targett, who opened the scoring on 13 minutes after breaking the offside trap to beat James Beadle, before being set up for a neat finish 13 minutes later to double his tally for the game and the season.

Blues responded with a neat strike from Marvin Ducksch in the opening minutes of the second half, but any hopes of a comeback were quashed by David Strelec's smart header on the hour-mark.

Birmingham City 1-3 Middlesbrough

It was Blues who created the first clear-cut chance of the game, with Tommy Doyle letting fly from 20 yards out after a mistake from Adilson Malanda, with Sol Brynn equal to the midfielder's effort.

The hosts continued to cause problems early on, with Jay Stansfield capitalising on yet another error from the centre-back to set Demarai Gray through, but his strike was well-blocked by Callum Brittain. However, they were undone after 13 minutes as Targett sprung the offside trap to slot Aidan Morris' cross-field ball past Beadle in what was the visitors' first opening of the 90 minutes.

13 minutes later, the full-back had his second of the game and his fourth of the campaign. Jonathan Panzo's headed clearance fell into Hayden Hackney's path, with the midfielder immediately picking out the advancing Targett to strike in front of the Tilton again.

With the home side in disarray, Hackney tried his luck from the edge of the box to add a third inside 35 minutes, but the Boro ace got his angles completely wrong from a promising position. Birmingham's first-half was summed up seven minutes before the break as Patrick Roberts' inviting cross from the right bypassed both Stansfield and Gray in the centre of the box.

Brynn was then equal to two efforts in quick succession to round out the first period, with Ducksch trying his luck with a speculative effort, before the shot-stopper gathered Christoph Klarer's header from the resulting corner.

Just like the first period, it was Blues who created the first opportunity of the second half, although Kai Wagner's long-distance strike was comfortable for the Middlesbrough shot-stopper.

They then reduced the deficit as Bright Osayi-Samuel sent Stansfield down the right flank, and Ducksch was on hand to tuck his 10th of the season in all competitions into the bottom-left-hand corner.

With Blues' tails up, Brynn pulled off a fine save down to his right 10 minutes into the half as the German striker aimed for a quickfire brace on the turn from 20 yards.

Hellberg's side would restore their two-goal lead on the hour-mark, though. A Brittain corner was recycled by Ayling, and his teasing cross was glanced home off the post by Strelec in what was his last action of the night before being replaced by Morgan Whittaker.

Brynn was once again at the forefront of the action in the final minutes as the Middlesbrough keeper was shown a yellow card for a a handball after charging Ducksch down, although Doyle's subsequent long-range free-kick proved to be extremely tame.

However, it proved to be a vital three points for the Teesside outfit, who will maintain some form of buffer on Ipswich Town and Hull City, irrespective of how their clash at Portman Road plays out in 24 hours' time, as they now have 66 points from 35 games played.

Blues, meanwhile, are eight points adrift of the top six with 11 games remaining.

Player Ratings

Birmingham City

James Beadle - 4.5

Bright Osayi-Samuel - 6 (Osman 72" - 6)

Christoph Klarer - 6.5

Jonathan Panzo - 6 (Laird 84" - 6)

Kai Wagner - 6.5

Tomoki Iwata - 6

Tommy Doyle - 6

Patrick Roberts - 6.5 (Vicente 64" - 6.5)

Marvin Ducksch - 7

Demarai Gray - 6.5 (Paik 72" - 6)

Jay Stansfield - 7 (Priske 65" - 6)

Unused Subs: R.Allsop, P.Neumann, K.Fujimoto, K.Furuhashi

Middlesbrough

Sol Brynn - 7

Callum Brittain - 7

Luke Ayling - 8

Adilson Malanda - 6

Dael Fry - 7.5

Matt Targett - 9

Hayden Hackney - 8 (Gilbert 91" - N/A)

Riley McGree - 7 (Browne 74" - 6)

Aidan Morris - 8

Tommy Conway - 6.5 (Sarmiento 74" - 6)

David Strelec - 7.5 (Whittaker 61" - 6)

Unused Subs: J.Wildsmith, G.Edmundson, F.Munroe, S.Hansen, K.Sene

Chris Davies reacts as Birmingham City defeated by Middlesbrough

Reacting to just the second home league defeat of his Blues tenure, Davies said: "It was a really disappointing evening for us.

"We haven't had too many of them at home since I've been here, but that was definitely one of them.

"I thought we actually started the game really well. I was really pleased with the start we made. We looked like we were on the front foot, didn't give them time on the ball, we were up in the press and had a couple of good situations develop.

"It was exactly the start I wanted from a home match, especially. Then out of nothing, it felt like, there was the goal," he added.

"It was a really poor goal from from our point of view. We get quite a few things wrong in a row - our line's a bit too high, there's no pressure on the ball, and it's just a chip over.

"It looked marginal to me in terms of the offside, I must say, because he gets the other side. But, it's a mistake on our part and a big chance he can't really miss.

"A very, very sloppy goal that changed the game from the position we were in, which was being the team more likely to push at that point," Davies continued.

"Then, soon after, we conceded another really sloppy goal. This was uncharacteristic. I can't remember too many like that we've conceded where the ball's bouncing around, it's a ridiculous situation that it makes its way through, and he can't really miss.

"We're not decisive or strong enough in that, and we go 2-0 down. From that point on, we were struggling and limped towards half-time.

"We stopped playing forward and stopped the bravery you need on the ball. We're not used to being 2-0 down at home, and a lot was going back and inviting pressure. We couldn't get out (of) our half. It was a poor end to the first half and we had a lot to do.

"We came out much better. We actually started both halves really well," said Davies.

"We were playing forward more, and the goal was a very good example of the decision to turn on the ball, play forward, forward run, in behind and a really good goal.

"We put ourselves in a great position. 2-1, but attacking the Tilton with a half to play. We were in good shape and I didn't want to change too much at that point.

"I was thinking we had the momentum, and then the third goal kills the game because, if we keep it at 2-1, even until the 80th minute, we're still in a good position to get something.

"But, it was a corner, second-phase, don't stop or deal with the cross. It's a decent header, but again, not just one mistake, there was a catalogue of mistakes."

Kim Hellberg reacts as Middlesbrough victorious over Birmingham City

Reacting to the Reds' crucial win in the West Midlands, Hellberg said: "(Birmingham) had one (league) loss in two years at this place, and they had a Premier League side here two weeks ago and drew.

"They are a very good side, and how we handled the game except from the first 10 minutes in both halves feels brilliant.

"It was fun to see our pressing be as good as it was and key to the win today," he added.

"We've been very good with the ball, but today, I think high-pressing was the key thing.

When asked about his pre-match tactical changes, Hellberg continued: "Offensively, it was similar positions. The big difference was the defensive shape and how we defended.

"Of course, that means offensively, Matt and Britts (Callum Brittain) can be a little bit more offensive in their positions with three centre-backs covering.

"Sometimes you get those decisions right, sometimes wrong. To guess Matt would score two goals from that position, of course, wasn't in the plans.

"Sometimes it's better than planned, and he did brilliantly. He deserved it, and it was more connected to how we wanted to press them.

"It was shown by the squad how good they are at adapting to different game-plans and styles.

"It was good for us to show that it doesn't have to be on the ball, we can be very good off the ball in our high-pressing," the Swede stated.

Attendance

The attendance at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park was 26,918.