Back to Back Victories

After a much needed 3-1 win against relegation strugglers Doncaster Rovers on Friday, Birmingham faced a quick turn around and repeated the same result this time away to Burnley, a team who had come off the back of an impressive weekend win themselves, much to the delight of everyone connected with the club as the promotion push took a major boost at such a pivotal point of the season.

The cold conditions didn’t seem to be hampering Blues’ red-hot attacking play, as after just eleven minutes they were in front. Finding himself in space, Marlon King fired the ball into the net to score his sixteenth goal of the season, and set Blues on course for successive away victories.

King could have easily added a second in what was a relatively comfortable half for the visitors, but his reluctancy to shoot meant he took too many touches and Burnley were able to clear the danger before the in-form striker was able to capitalise.

Long range shots from Guirane N’Daw and Jordon Mutch seemed to be the order of the night, yet neither came anywhere near doubling their team’s advantage, much to the frustration of the travelling support who sensed that their team needed that vital second goal; knowing that a Burnley equaliser was on the horizon.

The second half introduction of Junior Stanislas for the home side proved a turning point in the match, with Burnley finally getting more into the game and posing a threat to Boaz Myhill and the so far resilient Birmingham back line.

And Blues had a right to feel threatened; first Charlie Austin, seeing Myhill out of position, tried a long range effort which Curtis Davies managed to get his head to just in time to clear off the line, and Burnley came even closer just moments later with Danny Ings hitting the bar before Austin again came close from the rebound.

Burnley finally got the goal that had been coming through Ings, heading in a routine cross from Ross Wallace. But they didn’t get to celebrate for long, as a minute later Blues had the ball up the other end with King, who fed the ball to Mutch who put Blues ahead again; much to the delight of the Birmingham fans who mimicked their opposition by singing the goal celebration music they had heard just moments earlier.

The game was put to bed in the 88th minute when David Murphy sealed the three points from close range. Turf Moor emptied as the Blues fans celebrated another vital three points in their push for promotion. The result keeps them in fourth – three points clear of fifth place, with a home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday before a tough trip to London to face West Ham on Easter Monday in front of the television cameras. 

Image: BCFC.com