Jay Stansfield’s 13th-minute goal has given Birmingham City a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at St Andrew’s.

Town made two changes from the team which beat Plymouth 3-2 last week with Cameron Burgess and Harry Clarke coming into the starting XI.

Clarke replaced Brandon Williams at right-back, the on-loan Manchester United man having suffered with a minor illness this week.

Burgess took over from George Edmundson at the heart of the defence alongside Luke Woolfenden.

Axel Tuanzebe, who made his debut in the 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham in the week, and Cameron Humphreys, who came on as a sub in that game, were among the subs.

Birmingham boss Wayne Rooney, who had lost his previous three games since controversially taking over from John Eustace, made four changes from the team which lost 3-1 at Southampton last weekend.

Koji Miyoshi, Ethan Laird, returning from two months out with a hamstring injury, Jay Stansfield and the previously suspended Juninho Bacuna came into the team for Manny Longelo, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Siriki Dembele and Krystian Bielik, who all dropped to the bench.

As rain fell steadily, the game was preceded by a minute’s silence and the Last Post with the game Birmingham’s Remembrance Day fixture. Both teams wore black armbands.

Omari Hutchinson was lucky to escape without being shown a yellow card within the first 30 seconds of the start having slid in and sent Cody Drameh flying on halfway.

Referee Leigh Doughty felt a talking-to was sufficient and the on-loan Chelsea man made his apologies to the Birmingham left-back, who earlier in the season had been the sub who was subbed at half-time for Leeds at Portman Road after only 31 minutes on the field.

The home side saw most of the ball in the early stages but without threatening until the ninth minute when Bacuna unleashed a shot from30 yards which caught Burgess and flew only just past Vaclav Hladky’s right post.

Town had started slowly and in the 14th minute Birmingham went in front. Bacuna brought the ball forward to the edge of the area to the left before mishitting a shot which split two defenders and reached Jay Stansfield on the edge of the six-yard box. Hladky came to claim but Stansfield beat him to it and then shot on the turn into the net.

It was only the third goal Town had conceded away from home this season and the first in a first half.

Having gone in front, the Midlanders continued to put the Blues under pressure but with Town just about preventing them from creating another opening.

Town were struggling to play their way out from the back due to Birmingham’s press and on 21, after the Blues had again been forced to give away possession in their own half, Miyoshi struck a deflected shot which looped into Hladky’s arms.

A minute later, George Hirst was sent away into space on the Town left but with the linesman raising his flag. The striker in any case sent his shot well beyond home keeper John Ruddy’s left post.

On 25, Burgess got his name in referee Doughty’s book following a foul on Birmingham skipper Dion Anderson after a long throw from the left, although it looked as if his frustrated remonstrations with the official were what led to the yellow card.

Two minutes later, Town should have levelled. Skipper Sam Morsy sent over a free-kick from the right, Burgess nodded back across goal to an unmarked Nathan Broadhead, who volleyed wide when he will feel he should have hit the target at the very least.

As Birmingham keeper Ruddy prepared to take the goal-kick, Birmingham defender Emanuel Aiwu was booked for an earlier infringement.

Stansfield shot over on the turn from 25 yards in the 35th minute with the Blues still struggling to get on top with the Birmingham press still disrupting their passing out from the back.

Three minutes later, however, the Blues almost levelled out of nothing. Chaplin spotted Ruddy off his line fully 40 yards out on the left and looped an effort which was dipping under the bar until the keeper got back to tip it over for a Town corner.

Following the flag-kick, the Blues put the home side under their first spell of pressure of the game, although without creating any further danger.

However, Town ended the half defending once again and deserved to be behind at the break having never really got going in the first half.

Birmingham had been in charge for most of the period but with the goal and Bacuna’s early shot wide their only real chances.

Despite the disappointing overall display, the Blues might well have got on terms via Broadhead’s volley, and had looked dangerous from set pieces, and Chaplin’s audacious looping effort.

However, Town will have to improve if their to maintain their unbeaten away record and put pressure on leaders Leicester above them, while it remains to be seen whether Birmingham can maintain their persistent high press.

Birmingham City: Ruddy, Laird, Drameh, Sanderson (c), Aiwu, Bacuna, James, Sunjic, Burke, Stansfield, Miyoshi. Subs: Etheridge, Roberts, Bielik, Jutkiewicz, Dembele, Gardner, Longelo, Long, Hogan. 

Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst. Subs: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Taylor, Harness, Jackson, Scarlett, Ladapo. Referee: Leigh Doughty (Lancashire).

Photo: Matchday Images

RobsonWark added 16:06 - Nov 4 I wouldn't give any Town player more than 4 out of 10 for that first half display. Yes Birmingham are closing us down but our players are not helping. No-one is making themselves available for the ball when we are in position.
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Gforce added 16:09 - Nov 4 Big test of character required second half, need to up the tempo big time. Fingers crossed, we can turn it round.
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ImAbeliever added 17:05 - Nov 4 Quality .. Harness that power.
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