Ten-man Town fell to a 3-0 defeat away against fellow play-off challengers Birmingham City with Will Buckley, Jon Toral and Maikel Kieftenbeld on the scoresheet. Buckley made the most of some hesitant defending to put the home side ahead on 23 before Douglas was shown a straight red card just prior to the break and Toral and Kieftenbeld smashed home stunning second-half volleys to seal the victory.

As expected, boss Mick McCarthy reverted to the team which drew 1-1 with Preston last Saturday, having changed his entire XI for the FA Cup replay at Portsmouth on Tuesday.

New signing Kevin Foley’s international clearance came through and the full-back took a place on the Town bench, while loanee Paul Digby was included in a Championship matchday 18 for the first time.

The home side made one enforced changed from last week’s 3-0 win at Derby with Jacques Maghoma unwell. On-loan Sunderland winger Buckley came into the side for his full Birmingham debut.

After a quiet opening few minutes, the Midlanders created the first opening in the fourth minute, Buckley, often a thorn in Town’s side when a Brighton player, finding himself space 20 yards out but scraping wide.

A minute later, Stephen Gleeson, who played for Blues boss McCarthy at Wolves, scuffed another effort well past the post.

Town weren’t far away from going in front with their first chance of the game on six. Ryan Fraser laid the ball back to Kevin Bru on the left and the Mauritius international whipped over a cross which Daryl Murphy headed just over Tomasz Kuszczak’s crossbar from six yards.

Soon after, Clayton Donaldson thought he’d failed to take the chance of the game up to that point when he slid in but failed to connect with Maikel Kieftenbeld’s cross from the left but the linesman’s flag had been raised.

Murphy went close again for the Blues in the 11th minute when Bru fed the Irishman just outside the area to the left, where he flicked the ball up and smashed a strike across the face of goal.

Both sides were continuing to have chances and on 14 Jon Toral struck a powerful 25-yard effort which Blues keeper Dean Gerken did well to bat away from goal.

On 21 Birmingham defender Paul Caddis inadvertently presented the ball to Fraser on the Town left when trying to avoid conceding a corner, allowing the Scotland U21 international to whip over a cross which Freddie Sears flicked towards goal, however, Kuszczak was able to claim above his head.

Two minutes later, the visitors went in front via a goal Town will think they really ought to have prevented.

Tommy Smith’s headed clearance only reached Jonathan Grounds, who crossed from the left. The ball was turned away from goal but hit Douglas and ran to Donaldson, who hit a shot which Gerken saved superbly at point blank. However, the rebound fell to Buckley, who tapped home his first Birmingham goal from close range.

As the game moved towards the half hour mark Gleeson picked up the game’s first booking for a blatant trip on Fraser as the winger broke down the left.

After the resultant freekick had been worked down the left, the ball came out to Cole Skuse midway inside the Birmingham half but the midfielder’s shot flew well over.

Kieftenbeld went close to adding to his side’s lead on 40 when he made the most of more hesitant Town defending on the edge of the area, but the Dutchman’s shot was deflected wide.

Next it was the Blues' turn to threaten. With Kieftenbeld down injury and the home crowd calling for play to be stopped, Fraser cut in from the right and hit a powerful low shot which Kuszczak saved down to his right. Sears was first to the rebound which the Polish keeper again saved.

The ex-Colchester man got the the loose ball first again but his strike was deflected behind for a corner. From the flag-kick, Sears was just unable to get a touch to Christophe Berra’s header before Kuszczak claimed.

In first-half injury time Fraser crossed from the left and Murphy glanced a header well wide.

Seconds before the whistle Town were reduced to 10 men for the second successive game.

Douglas dived in for a ball which had run away from him midway inside the Blues half and caught Buckley with a one-footed but studs-up challenge on his shins.

Referee Michael Bull had no hesitation in issuing the 34-year-old with what looked a correct straight red card, Town’s first of their Championship campaign. Douglas now faces a three-match ban.

There hadn’t been much in the half as a whole with both teams having created opportunities - Town’s best was probably Murphy’s early header - and the two keepers each having made saves.

The Blues were made to pay for poor defending for the goal and having been reduced to 10 men have an uphill task to get back into the match in the second half.

Town switched Bru for the more combative Luke Hyam ahead of the start of the second half.

Skuse struck the first shot after the restart from distance but it gave Kuszczak little problem, then Paul Robinson got his name in the referee’s book for a foul on Fraser with the Blues starting the half on the front foot, despite their numerical disadvantage.

But nine minutes after the break the home side doubled their lead. Donaldson knocked down a long kick from Kuszczak and on-loan Arsenal midfielder Toral smashed an unstoppable volley past Gerken from 25 yards.

Despite what now looked a hopeless cause, the 10-man Blues kept pushing forward in ever greater numbers, Sears winning a couple of corners with strong runs into the area from first the right and then the left, but without the set pieces coming to anything.

On 64 Murphy fed a speeding Fraser down the left and the on-loan Bournemouth man took the ball into the area before hitting a low shot across the face of goal from a tight angle.

Two minutes later, again after Fraser had outpaced defenders down the left, Murphy laid the ball back to the Scot but his shot flew well over.

At the other end Gleeson saw a 67th minute shot deflected through to Gerken from the edge of the area, off a Town hand claimed the Birmingham players and fans, but not referee Bull.

Any doubt about which way the points would be were going were ended in the 70th minute when Kieftenbeld made in 3-0 with the afternoon’s second stunning volley.

The Blues again made heavy weather of clearing a ball in from the left and Chambers’s hook away fell to the former Groningen midfielder lashed past Gerken and into the corner of the net.

Sears looped a Fraser low cross over on 75, then a minute later Smith was booked for a foul on Donaldson on halfway.

With 12 minutes remaining Brett Pitman and Luke Varney replaced Sears and Murphy, then a minute later James Vaughan replaced Buckley for the home side.

Four minutes after coming on, Varney fed Fraser to his left inside the area when he might have shot himself, but the winger’s effort was blocked.

Birmingham’s Grounds was extremely lucky to avoid a red card on 84 when he caught Fraser in the face with a high boot just outside the area. Amazingly referee Bull failed to see the challenge as a foul let alone a card. If Douglas’s challenge warranted a red card, then that certainly did.

Gleeson smashed a shot not too far over, then Gerken required treatment after colliding with Vaughan as the two went for a Donaldson knockdown. The Blues keeper was eventually able to continue.

Deep in injury time Fraser, once again Town’s outstanding player, cut in from the right and struck a shot which flew just over the bar.

The game had been an even affair with both teams creating chances until Douglas’s red card, Birmingham having made the most of poor Town defending for Buckley’s opening goal.

The Blues continued to take the game to the home side in the second half and had a number of decent chances, but holes began to open up in the Town backline and Birmingham capitalised with first Toral’s and then Kieftenbeld’s brilliant strikes.

While the scoreline was a reflection of the 90 minutes overall, the game had been much tighter when 11 against 11.

The result sees the Blues - previously undefeated in seven away from home in the Championship - drop to eighth with Birmingham moving ahead of them but only a point behind Sheffield Wednesday in the final play-off place.

Town have a free Saturday next weekend with scheduled opponents Reading still in the FA Cup. The game has moved to the following Tuesday, February 2nd.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Bru (Hyam 46), Fraser, Sears (Pitman 78), Murphy (Varney 78). Unused: Bialkowski, Digby, Foley, Hyam, Maitland-Niles.

Birmingham: Kuszczak, Caddis, Morrison (c), Robinson, Grounds, Gleeson, Kieftenbeld (Solomon-Otabor 74), Davis (Adams 90), Buckley (Vaughan 80), Toral, Donaldson. Unused: Legzdins, Spector, Lowry, Brock-Madsen. Referee: Michael Bull (Essex). Att: 18,272 (Town: 1,887).

Photo: Action Images

kozmik added 17:29 - Jan 23 Spend Some Damn Money Evans!!!
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Bob7881 added 17:33 - Jan 23 Come on guys lets not be too harsh we need to stick together and get behind MM if we are to stay in this divsion, the football wont be pretty but if that means staying mid table so be it. COYBs in Mick we trust.
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Elizabeth added 17:34 - Jan 23 Really disappointing .. We never seem to have the confidence or commitment to cause an upset! Midfield is just not good enough or should I say the midfield favourites are not good enough .. Why not change the personnel for once ... So frustrating ! Can't believe that Tommy Oar made the excuse of being homesick.. More likely sick of not being chosen ! He looked a good prospect to me when he did play . Back to the drawing board and with no game next week players should be up for the home game against Reading .. Let's hope so !

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rendoblue added 17:34 - Jan 23 No surprise, when will someone at this club realise this team is not good enough without 2-3 players, quality players not someone else's left over dross. We have to sign this month otherwise we are going nowhere, even if we made the play offs look at what we are against. Not bonus from today is that we are now guaranteed a game where amuse and Douglas aren't paired. O no hang on hyam will come in to improve our creation and goal threat. After what happened in the week today had to be better. Very disappointing once again!

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terryf added 17:35 - Jan 23 Most of the guys would have loved to have played in the cup game at Portman Road and we'd have kept momentum going, played one less cup game and probably been looking forward to the Bournemouth tie. Where has the romance of the cup gone? Our territorial game is limited and generally means the ball's coming back to our defenders all too quickly. With too many individual errors we are always likely to concede and be on the back foot. The Preston game was a good example. The top teams just do not concede many goals and have that little bit of class when it's needed. If we want to compete then we need to invest in a couple of quality players, which should have been done in the summer rathering than wasting £8,500!!!

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loyal_Blue added 17:36 - Jan 23 To the people who down voted me, can you please tell me if you were at the game today? And are over 12 ? Much appreciated, Loyal_blue
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Geoff added 17:37 - Jan 23 Today just shows how this once great respected club has fallen,out of the FA cup out of the play offs heading for a mid table position those that think that old dinosaur is right for this club deserve to watch that dross every week no investment no ambition to many players not good enough.Feel very sad for the great fans we really deserve better.
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truckerblue added 17:39 - Jan 23 Let's see what b*llocks MM comes up with to explain that sh*te.
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truckerblue added 17:39 - Jan 23 Let's see what b*llocks MM comes up with to explain that sh*te.
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essex57 added 17:39 - Jan 23 On way home from the game Douglas tackle was poor but so was the one on frazier that was as bad as Douglas one. Dont like to criticise but thats the last 3 opening goals from a cross catching the defence square . Positives we did play better football than last saturday strange we always seem to away plenty still to play for.
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Bob7881 added 17:40 - Jan 23 So Mick your thoughts on the game "im from Yorkshire i says what i like and i bloody well likes what i say" thanks Mick over to you back at the studio.
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Gazelle added 17:40 - Jan 23 I didn't go so I can't comment on our performance but Mick Mills on the radio said we mostly played ok but it was one of those days when nothing went right. But then what does he know ?
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ChrisFelix added 17:41 - Jan 23 More goals conceded, is it the defence. I suspect the blame lays with the keeper
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martleshamitfc added 17:41 - Jan 23 I wish we could sign someone like Will Buckley?
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sidtheswan added 17:42 - Jan 23 Must be worn out after playing in the cup in midweek ! On Soccer Saturday Merse said Villa should pay whatever it takes to get the right man for the job and that man is MM. No need Merse I'll pay and even drive him to Birmingham! What mug extended his contract ?
0

toxtethblue added 17:43 - Jan 23 Jonathan Douglas has to be the worst player to ever put on a town shirt. Provides nothing every match week in week out, screwed up against Leeds and now gets sent off in first half. ×××××××××××××××× Yeah but he's one of Micks fav's so he could sit in the middle reciting nursery rhymes and he'd play every week. At least he can't pick him for 3 games now. Too rigid, too inflexible, too one dimensional, too stubborn.

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prebbs007 added 17:44 - Jan 23 Good job we rested our stars midweek. What a joke !!!! If we don't bring in some quality this week we are going to fall away. But we can't get better than we've got can we Mick ??? Obviously Birmingham don't have better that's why we beat them today! doh. Preston good side 1-3 at home to team who lost 1-3 at home week before. It's utter trash to say we can't improve our team with transfers and you are just insulting the fans when you say it !!! Disgrace !! essex57 downmark on the way lol

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Stato added 17:46 - Jan 23 I wanna hear from the 'year on year progress under McCarthy brigade". Been bored of that quote for a long time and as no longer true any of you gonna be honest enough to say we have peaked under McCarthy and now going backwards. Won't hold my breath.
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therein61 added 17:46 - Jan 23 We are very fluid and exciting up front(oh for a ball carrying midfielder, oh yes he's just gone to MK Dons remember him!!?) which deserve better service from midfield back to the and including the keeper are like rabbits in headlights stood stock still and scared witless it's got to change and soon or after another long trip today I will not be putting another penny towards Micks new contract.

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Pezzer added 17:47 - Jan 23 Losing today may have felt better if we'd at least progressed in the FA cup.
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Langdon_Blue added 17:48 - Jan 23 Loyal_blue - rather an absurd comment. I'm sure Cornishblu and I are both very disappointed with today's result. You realise we support the same club right??
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Bob7881 added 17:49 - Jan 23 @essex57 thanks for that post i feel so much better i can face the week with a new optimism.
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Bob7881 added 17:49 - Jan 23 @essex57 thanks for that post i feel so much better i can face the week with a new optimism.
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truckerblue added 17:50 - Jan 23 @Gazelle. Your lucky you never went. We really were sh*te regardless of what mills has got to say.
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karls_dad added 17:53 - Jan 23 All these negative comments aline with what i have said and thought for some time, MM has done wonders with a shoestring squad, but that is exactly what it is! liken it to motor racing, no matter how could the driver, if the machine beneath him is not up to it, all you can do is compete to what you have! As an ex motor cycle racer, yes there were times when "I" WAS MUCH QUICKER THAN THOSE IN FRONT! but they had better machines so i was never gonna catch them, and this is whats happening to our club! Total respect to MM for what he has achieved with so little, but until we have an owner that will back the manager with the necessary funding we will stay the same! "also rans" I doubt we will make the play offs again and predict around a 8th or 9th finish, now tell me i,m wrong?

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