Hannibal Magbury scored the first goal and scored the second as Birmingham City comfortably won the West Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion to make it back-to-back championships.
The on-loan Manchester United midfielder took a 10th-minute free-kick brilliantly to score his first senior goal for Tunisia.
He then swung in a left-wing corner from which Polish midfielder Krystian Belek also scored his first goal for the club seven minutes into the second half.
On a night when their fans again cried foul over the Championship club’s continued failure to find new owners, it was a sign that John Eustace had rediscovered the spirit behind the wall. carried them through the first half of the season.
While the Blues moved 10 points clear of danger in their 4-3 comeback win at Swansea last Saturday, it was Albion’s third defeat in four league and cup games.
Albion were always against him from the moment Magbury made such a sensational breakthrough.
The Blues won a free-kick near the edge of the penalty area to the right of the Gale Merrick stand – and Magbury was quick to observe that David Button’s positioning left him a gap to direct past the Albion keeper’s left hand.
The gap was still to be found – and he found it with a low right-foot curler curled around the outside off Gradi Diangana, who was acting as a one-man wall.
If Button, only playing because of an injury to Alex Palmer, might have been frustrated with himself, he had to show his pace to keep out another great free-kick from Magbury just before the break. .
But seven minutes into the second half, Bielik rose highest to meet Mejbri’s left-wing delivery to avoid Button’s desperate late dash off the line and head in the clinching second.
Albion boss Carlos Corbyn, in his first game since ending speculation he was linked with the managerial vacancy at Leeds United by signing a new long-term Albion deal, made five second-half substitutions – three of them At once — but to no avail. .
Although the Baggies had more than two-thirds of the possession and camped out in the Blues’ half for long periods, they managed just one shot on target.
Who’s next?
The Blues now follow their fourth Friday night win of the season with another floodlit home game against Cardiff City on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Huddersfield next Saturday.
Albion now host Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday, followed by the visit of former boss Sloane Bullock’s Watford on Monday.
Birmingham City boss John Eustice told:
“We were the best. I’ve said all season that it’s important that no one is the same with a win as we were with five losses. But I’m very proud of this group of players. They’ve never been the same.” Don’t stop fighting.
“It was fantastic from minute one. And Hannibal was unplayable. He plays on the edge. He was all over the pitch.
“I want the fans to be proud of this team – and they dig deep for each other. With all the protests and things like that, they showed our character.”
West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corburn told:
“Our attack was not successful, and they scored two goals which had a big impact.
“They surprised us with the first goal, at the expense of the keeper, then the second goal changed the game.
“I have to analyze the game before making a decision about who plays in the next match.”
