BLUES BROTHERS
Deeney and Hogan have clicked up front and Bowyer is delighted
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LEE BOWYER believes Birmingham strike duo Troy Deeney and Scott Hogan have “clicked”.
Newly-appointed Blues skipper Deeney, who joined Birmingham from Watford in August as a free agent, set up Hogan for the second goal at the Riverside as Bowyer’s men bagged back-toback victories. Deeney, who had a hand in Riley McGree’s winner against Swansea last time out, turned provider again as Hogan ended a sixmatch goal drought with his fourth this season. Bowyer admitted former Aston Villa forward Hogan had been “beating himself up’’ over missed chances.
But the Blues’ boss stressed: “Troy can help. I believe Scotty is better playing alongside someone. He and Jukey (Lukas Jutkiewicz) were doing well before Troy came.
“Now Troy has played the last couple of games and they’ve clicked. It’s good to have that option.’’
The victories against Swansea and now Boro came on the back of a sevengame winless run.
But Bowyer (left) insisted: “Yes, we had a bit of a sticky patch but we weren’t playing badly, we just kept missing chances.
“At home to Nottingham Forest, we battered them for 20 minutes and their first shot went in the top corner from 25 yards. The league is crazy, you can’t predict it.’’
Middlesbrough keeper Joe Lumley had a crazy moment when he came for Jordan Graham’s 53rdminute free-kick but failed to deal with it, and defender Marc Roberts headed in his second goal this season.
Three minutes later, Hogan (top right) was fed by Deeney (right). Hogan saw off the attentions of defenders Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier to beat the exposed Lumley with composed finish.
Boro boss Neil Warnock, set to establish a record in English management at Luton tomorrow night when he takes charge of his 1,602nd game in league and cup, reckoned striker Uche Ikpeazu’s 18th-minute miss was as costly as Lumley’s “cock-up”.
Defeat checked his side’s three-match winning run, and Warnock said: “We’re a little bit thin in the squad, if I’m honest, when we lose two or three players.
“You dread to think what would happen if we lost certain players with the injuries we have – Paddy McNair, for instance.
“Uche felt the back of his leg when he missed the header and had to come off, and Martin Payero felt something as well.’’ Bowyer has injury issues, too, before tomorrow’s home clash with Bristol City.
On-loan winger Tahith Chong missed the Boro game with a groin problem and has undergone a scan, while left wing-back Kristian Pedersen came off with a hamstring niggle.