BLUES LIFTED BY JACQUES IN THE BOX
BIRMINGHAM City have shot themselves in the foot so many times in a dreadful year they have left themselves barely able to walk. But they stood tall in this one.
The Blues might still be bottom of the Championship but suddenly there is hope in that dark tunnel. Jacques Maghoma’s first goal since the middle of August, when hope was still high under Harry Redknapp’s management, brought a deserved and grateful win.
“It was a big win and one we thoroughly deserved,” said Blues boss Steve Cotterill, the latest manager to try and rescue their situation.
“I felt before this result we had a good chance of staying up. We are only halfway through the season.
“When your team lacks confidence it looks as if it can’t play football and it can’t have a fight.
“The atmosphere around the ground today was completely different to the last one when we lost to Norwich on Boxing Day.
“Our fans won this game because they gave the players the confidence to play. Forget all the tactical work – it was as thorough as it always is, we did our homework. The difference was the ground was jumping and the players fed off that. It gave them the confidence to drive forward and not worry about making a mistake.”
Blues jumped so high they won their first game in eight, got their 13th league goal of the season, Cotterill’s third victory in 13 games since succeeding the sacked Redknapp, and restored hope.
Maghoma’s winner six minutes from time came after substitute Jota forced Leeds goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald into a save. As the ball came out Birmingham pounced on it, looking for the kill, and the Congolese midfielder was there first, sending the ball back past the keeper.
Leeds had needed some desperate defending, something they did not expect given Birmingham’s situation, to get that far unscathed and undamaged.
It was all a shock to their system. They had arrived with an unbeaten run of six games, five of them wins that had brought a place back in the top six since a slump to 10th in November. They stay in the playoff places with Nottingham Forest due at Elland Road tomorrow.
Only once did Leeds genuinely threaten, when Pablo Hernandez’s second-half shot was diverted up and on to the crossbar by Birmingham keeper David Stockdale.
“It was a horrible game,” said Leeds boss Thomas Christiansen, reviewing how his team were out-fought in midfield and generally second best. “It was a difficult game. We knew what the opponent was going to do.
“Now we have another game coming quickly. It is always good to have a game close after a bad result.
“I have to say that I am happy with the performance the team has shown in the last games, good results. We close December with 16 points out of 21. That’s not bad.
“I will not attach anything to this game. It was not our day against an opponent we knew would be dangerous given the position they are in. “It was the last opportunity they will have in the league for this year and they showed that. “But my team is ready to bounce back against Nottingham Forest.”