Birmingham overwhelm poor Sunderland to escape Championship drop zone
Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2018 by PA
Birmingham climbed out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone for the first time in two months after a comprehensive win over drop rivals Sunderland.
Goals from David Davis, Jeremie Boga and Sam Gallagher earned Steve Cotterill’s side a deserved 3-1 victory at St Andrew’s.
It lifted them to 20th, a point above the bottom three, while wretched Sunderland sit second bottom and two point behind Blues.
This was the first time Birmingham had scored three goals or more in a league game since October 2016. Bryan Oviedo netted a late consolation for Sunderland.
The Black Cats survived a warning after 10 minutes when Gallagher planted a header over from Boga’s free-kick.
David Stockdale then made a meal of Oviedo’s bouncing shot but it was a rare Sunderland chance.
And former Everton man Oviedo produced a goal-saving tackle after 22 minutes to deny Jacques Maghoma when Gallagher’s cross bypassed Robbin Ruiter.
Goalkeeper Ruiter has failed to impress at Sunderland this season and he added another blunder to his collection when the hosts opened the scoring after 28 minutes.
Maghoma and Davis swapped passes to send former Wolves man Davis clear down the right and his low shot squeezed under Ruiter and over the line.
The goal knocked Sunderland’s confidence and they went 2-0 down to the improving hosts a minute before half time.
Maghoma was again the architect and his delicious cross was headed in by the on-rushing Boga from 10 yards.
Sunderland’s horror show continued nine minutes after the break when calamity goalkeeper Ruiter gifted Birmingham a third.
He was easily beaten to the ball by Davis and the midfielder cut it back for the unmarked Gallagher to roll in and seal the game.
Gallagher and Jota nearly added a fourth for Birmingham – who had previously scored just eight home goals this season – with Sunderland well beaten.
But Oviedo, who also hit the post, grabbed an 83rd-minute consolation when he volleyed in at the far post.
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