HARRY LEFT IN DYER STRAITS
Burton lifted by Lloyd and it’s woe for Blues
LLOYD DYER was Burton’s hero as they claimed a first league win of the season.
The boyhood Aston Villa fan struck on 66 minutes after Marvin Sordell had cancelled out Jacques Maghoma’s opener for Birmingham.
That goal just before the half hour was just reward for Blues’ overall supremacy in the first half.
But it was a different story after the break as the Brewers deservedly clawed their way back into the game.
Albion had created the first opening when Tom Naylor’s header drifted narrowly over. Harry Redknapp’s men responded, with Maghoma’s pass giving David Davis a sight of goal, but he shot tamely at keeper Stephen Bywater.
Burton should have been ahead on 23 but Sordell’s shot from eight yards out hit the legs of keeper David Stockdale.
The visitors went in front when Lukas Jutkiewicz headed into the danger area and Maghoma – who made 172 appearances for the Brewers – volleyed home
Burton were a different proposition after half-time and when Sordell unleashed a tremendous drive from 20 yards out, Stockdale was left helpless.
Jutkiewicz then headed too close to Bywater from pointblank range following Clayton Donaldson’s cross.
The lively Donaldson then hit a post with an acrobatic overhead kick when Burton failed to clear a corner.
But Burton’s high-tempo second half performance was further rewarded through Dyer’s well-crafted goal.
The former Birmingham loanee kept his cool to steer home after Lucas Akins’s backheel put him in on goal.
Cheikh N’doye was denied an equaliser on 82 when his header was saved by Bywater.