Blues dodge a ding Dong
DANE Kristian Pedersen stayed at home and helped Birmingham avoid a big ding Dong.
St Andrew’s was on the edge of revolt after a poor transfer window that finished with boss Pep Clotet losing five players and only getting one in.
That lone signing, Scott Hogan, pulled Blues level on his debut after Tiago Silva had sent promotion-chasing Forest in front.
And it was full-back Pedersen who struck with 15 minutes left to give Birmingham their first home league win since October.
Watford wanted to take Pedersen into the Premier League, but he rejected the £8million move.
Fulham were also interested, but Pedersen chose to stay and try to help unravel the mess Birmingham’s boardroom is getting the club into.
When Silva hit his first league goal for Nottingham Forest in the 18th minute a banner was unfurled on Birmingham’s Tilton Road End that read: Killing The Club. Get Dong Out Now’.
That’s an attack on chief executive Xuandong Ren, known as ‘Dong’, who runs the club on behalf of owner Paul Suen and his Hong Kong company Trillion Trophy Asia.
“I’m the head coach, I don’t know the details of the Pedersen situation,” said Clotet.
“But the important thing for me
BIRMINGHAM was that the club managed to keep Pedersen.
“He is a massive asset and on a clear uptrend in development. “Pedersen wanted to stay.”
Blues managed an FA Cup win over Blackburn but had taken only two points from seven Championship games and the fans were getting fed up with it.
When Silva smacked Forest ahead it looked grim.
It would have been worse if Lewis Grabban had made it 2-0 with a 41st-minute spot-kick.
Grabban had scored three penalties in his 16 goals this season, but this one was weak and keeper Lee Camp dived to his left to save.
It got worse for Forest within a minute when Jeremie Bela’s cross was headed down by Lukas Jutkiewicz and Hogan turned the ball in for the equaliser.
When Pedersen scored the winner, Forest were beaten for the first time in eight.
“The penalty changed the game,” said Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi.
“Congratulations to Birmingham, but we gave them the points.
“Had Grabban scored the penalty the game would have been over.
“If we are like this without character, without the right aggression to close the game it will be very tough to get promotion.”
NOTT’M FOREST