Terriers in blinding form for Corberan
BIRM’HAM HUDD’FIELD
PUT your hat on Huddersfield to win promotion after they bullied Birmingham to rule the Second City on Peaky Blinders Day at St Andrew’s.
Gary Gardner’s own goal and one from Lewis O’Brien saw Carlos Corberan’s side stretch their unbeaten run to 15 games and climb to third in the Championship.
Juninho Bacuna and Onel Hernandez hit the woodwork for Blues in an improved second-half performance.
But the Terriers coasted home as they made it three straight wins and 31 points from their last 45 available.
Corberan said: “This run is down to many things – the mentality of the players, the desire to play game by game and the positive performances of some of the players.”
Birmingham lost striker Lyle Taylor to injury in the warm-up then saw makeshift centre-back Maxime Colin depart to a knock in the 25th minute.
And Huddersfield took a 27th-minute lead with the first serious attack.
Sorba Thomas’ inswinging corner found Levi Colwill at the far post, he chested the ball on and it went in off Gardner.
O’Brien made it 2-0 in the 44th minute after more catastrophic Blues defending. Gardner made a hash of his clearance and Jeremie Bela couldn’t keep out O’Brien, who sidefooted home.
Birmingham head coach Lee Bowyer said: “In the second half we had a go but I can’t fault the players.”
BIRMINGHAM: Etheridge 6; Graham
5, Colin 6 (Sunjic (25th) 6), Pedersen 5; Bela 6; Gardner 4, Woods 6; Bacuna 7, James 5 (Chong (66th) 6); Jutkiewicz 5, Hernandez 7
HUDDERSFIELD: Nicholls 8; Turton 7, Pearson 7, Colwill 8, Toffolo 8; Russell 7, Hogg 7, O’Brien 8; Thomas 8 (Koroma
90th), Rhodes 7 (Ward 79th), Holmes 7 (Sinani 77th)
STAR MAN: Sorba Thomas
REF: D Webb