Cotterill’s pride as Birmingham reign starts with win over leaders
Steve Cotterill began his tenure as Birmingham manager with a win as Championship leaders Cardiff suffered only their second defeat of the season, hailing his players for executing their game plan so well that Neil Warnock’s team – the most attacking in the division – did not manage even one shot on target.
Birmingham started the night in the bottom three but made it look a false position with a performance that merited the points.
“I’m so proud of my players for everything they have done in the two weeks since I came in,” Cotterill said. “Every part of our game plan couldn’t have gone any better.
“Cardiff didn’t have a shot on target and that was down to our blocks and the work we’ve put in. That performance has got to be good for belief and confidence and hopefully we can build on that.”
Birmingham, hammered 6-1 at Hull in caretaker manager Lee Carsley’s final match in charge as Cotterill sat in the stands, outfought Cardiff for much of the night.
The only goal came after 19 minutes when Che Adams won possession almost on the halfway line and charged through the Cardiff defence before firing into the bottom corner. But Warnock felt his side should have had a penalty for a high challenge by Adams on Joe Bennett. “Apparently the referee has said if it was anywhere else on the pitch he would have given a foul, so what does that mean?,” he said. Birmingham City (4-2-3-1): Kuszczak; Colin, Morrison, Roberts, Grounds; Ndoye, Kieftenbeld; Adams (Jutkiewicz 90), Davis (Gallagher 90), Maghoma (Gardner 90); Vassell. Subs Trueman (g), Dean, Jota, Gleeson. Booked Davis, Kieftenbeld
Cardiff City (4-1-2-3): Etheridge; Peltier, S Morrison, Manga, Bennett; Bamba; Bryson (Gunnarsson 68), Ralls (Ward 81); Mendez-laing, Zohore, Hoilett (Feeney 81). Subs Murphy (g), Tomlin, Connolly, Damour. Booked Bryson
Referee G Eltringham (Co Durham).