REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-0 LEEDS UNITED

REPORT: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-0 LEEDS UNITED

Winning run comes to an end.

Sky Bet Championship

Birmingham City 1 (Maghoma 83) Leeds United 0

It was a frustrating end to 2017 for Leeds United as a Jacques Maghoma goal handed the Whites a first defeat since November.

Gaetano Berardi was made captain on the day of his 100th appearance for the club since signing from Sampdoria in the summer of 2014, Conor Shaughnessy started and Samuel Saiz made the bench, with Ronaldo Vieira and Eunan O’Kane both missing the trip to the Midlands.

It was the hosts who started the better and had the first chance of the game, but Sam Gallagher’s volley was blocked.

Some good work from both Pablo Hernandez and Pawel Cibicki, led to a shot from 25 yards for Kalvin Phillips, which was well saved by David Stockdale.

At the other end Jeremie Boga fired a curling shot wide of Felix Wiedwald’s post, from the edge of the box.

Birmingham then had a good chance, when Boga found Gallagher in the box, but his shot was blocked by a crucial challenge from Liam Cooper.

Leeds threatened at the other end but Phillips couldn’t quite reach Pablo Hernandez’s inviting through ball.

The hosts came the closest to opening the scoring when Maikel Kieftenbeld drove forwards and his shot from the edge of the box deflected just over the bar four minutes before the break.

Leeds had their best chance of the first half when Craig Gardner fouled Ezgjan Alioski on the edge of the area,  Pablo Hernandez stepped up, but his free kick was just a yard too high.  

Half time Birmingham City 0-0 Leeds United

Phillips had the first chance in the second half, an Hernandez corner fell to him on the edge of the box and he tried a spectacular volley, but couldn’t find the target.  

The action quickly switched, with a corner falling to Davis, but like Phillips, he could only fire wide.

Leeds almost opened the scoring on 74 minutes when substitute Saiz played Hernandez into the Birmingham box, his effort was superbly stopped, but still headed goal-wards and hit the crossbar, before going over.

Birmingham then had their best chance of the contest following a rare error by Pontus Jansson, but Davis shot was saved by a great save from Wiedwald.  

Birmingham took the lead six minutes from time, Jota’s shot could only be parried out to Maghoma who tapped home.

Soon after, Hernandez had a chance to equalise for the visitors, but his curling shot was just wide, as the Blues held on, to end United’s winning run.

Full Time Birmingham City 1-0 Leeds United

 

Birmingham: Stockdale, Colin, Roberts, Dean, Grounds, Gardner, Keiftenbeld, Davis (Ndoye 87), Maghoma (Nsue 88), Boga (Jota 77), Gallagher: Subs not used: Trueman, Morrison, Gleeson, Jutkiewicz.

Leeds: Wiedwald, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Berardi, Phillips (Klich 69), Shaughnessy, Alioski (Lassoga 85), Hernandez, Cibicki (Saiz 55), Roofe, Subs not used: Lonergan, Pennington, Anita, Grot.  

 

Referee: T Robinson

Booked: Grounds (Birmingham City) Cooper, Roofe (Leeds United)

Attendance: 21,673 (2,484 Leeds United fans)

Venue: St Andrew’s

 

 

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