Birmingham City celebrated derby delight after benefitting from a controversial penalty as they came from behind to beat rivals West Bromwich Albion at St. Andrew’s.
Cedric Kipre’s clumsy lunge on Koji Miyoshi was deemed a spot kick by referee James Linington and Juninho Bacuna equalised in the 23rd minute.
From that moment, John Eustace’s side were a different proposition as Dion Sanderson headed Blues in front in the 38th minute before substitute Gary Gardner grabbed a third with an 87th-minute free kick.
John Swift put West Brom ahead in the sixth minute with his sixth goal of the season.
The 28-year-old forward coolly passed the ball into the net first time from 20 yards from Grady Diangana’s square ball, the shot going in off the post.
The timing and precision of the strike meant goalkeeper John Ruddy had no chance of saving Swift’s second goal of the week.
Some City fans thought they had equalised in the 12th minute but Miyoshi’s shot ripped high into the sidenetting from a tight angle after Adam Stansfield headed Bacuna’s corner across goal.
Birmingham were level in the 23rd minute with a penalty which was hotly disputed by West Brom’s players.
At first glance the decision looked harsh as Miyoshi was falling anyway before Kipre’s lunge on him, but there was a follow-through from the latter which presumably made up the mind of referee James Linington.
Bacuna made no mistake from the spot for his first Championship goal of the season, sending his kick low to the left of Alex Palmer, who dived the opposite way.
In a typical derby, action swung from end to end and a bouncing header from West Brom’s Alex Mowatt was held by Ruddy.
But it was Blues who dominated the rest of the half.
The lively Bacuna saw a low shot deflected just wide off Kyle Bartley before John Eustace’s side took the lead in 38th minute.
Dion Sanderson guided a header high into the net from Cody Drameh’s deep cross after West Brom partly cleared a corner.
Sanderson, the former Wolves academy graduate, ran in front of the West Brom fans to celebrate enthusiastically.
West Brom wasted a golden chance to equalise in the 59th minute.
Darnell Furlong slid in unmarked at the far post but his shot from six yards out flew inches wide after Matt Phillips crossed.
Furlong had another chance soon afterwards but his far-post header flew straight at Ruddy.
But they needn’t have worried as Gardner curled home a delightful free kick to seal Blues’ second home win in a week after Kipre was booked for bringing down substitute Scott Hogan in the D.
danriwbik
0
i loved the game ❤❤❤
as if u watched it 😏
lipcikpr
1
i loved the game ❤❤❤
Isaaci-zoh
1
what a game