Proud Kar driven by messages of support
SHEFF W ..... 0 BIRM’HAM .... 1
AITOR KARANKA revealed Birmingham’s priceless victory was inspired by emotional pre-match messages of support as the battling Blues climbed out of the drop zone.
Karanka’s side had won just one of their previous
14 games and faced a Wednesday side searching for a sixth successive home victory.
Yet the visitors ran out the worthy winners after Scott Hogan’s
63rd-minute goal saw off an awful Owls outfit reduced to 10 men when Liam Shaw saw red early in the second half.
Earlier this week, Birmingham supporters designed a banner of support to be hung outside the club’s training ground.
Karanka’s players also received special video messages from family organised by skipper Harlee Dean.
And the Spanish boss said: “I told them, ‘The crowd and your families are supporting and trusting you because you have shown that you are good to win and to keep going’. I’m really proud of them.”
Genuine goalscoring opportunities were scarce but Birmingham had a numerical advantage when Shaw saw red for a second yellow after cleaning out Maxime Colin.
Wednesday caretaker boss Neil Thompson said: “Liam is absolutely devastated but when you are on a yellow, you can’t leave the ground.
“We have to dust ourselves down and go again. We have to fight.”
SHEFF WEDS: Westwood 6; Palmer 6 (Dele-Bashiru 82nd), Lees 6, Dunkley 6 (Reach (66th) 6); Harris 6, Bannan 7, Shaw
5, Hutchinson 6, Penney 6; Paterson 5 (Rhodes 75th), Windass 5 (Kachunga 75th)
BIRMINGHAM: Etheridge 7; Colin 6, Dean
8, Clarke-Salter 6, Pedersen 7; Harper 7, Gardner 7, Sunjic 6 (Halilovic (62nd) 6); Sanchez 6 (Roberts 75th), Bela 6 (San Jose (74th) 6), Hogan 7 (Leko 90th)
STAR MAN: Harlee Dean
REF: L Mason