Birmingham City End Away Drought with Hard-Fought Hillsborough Victory
Birmingham City finally broke their away day hoodoo with a determined 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Tuesday night. The long-awaited triumph marked Blues' first Championship win on the road in three months, providing a significant boost to their campaign momentum.
Marvin Ducksch proved the match-winner in the 83rd minute, cleverly redirecting Jay Stansfield's effort past the Wednesday goalkeeper to send the travelling supporters into raptures. The celebrations continued deep into stoppage time when Kyogo Furuhashi marked his birthday with a composed finish to seal the three points.
Davies Hails Psychological Importance of Away Success
Manager Chris Davies emphasised the psychological significance of securing back-to-back away results, following their recent draw at Swansea. "I think it's big and we'll take a lot from it," Davies reflected. "To win two of those away games and score six goals, I'm really pleased. There was a fragility to our away performances earlier this season, so this represents important progress."
The victory lifts Birmingham to seven points from their last three Championship outings, demonstrating growing consistency during a challenging period of the season.
Striking Duo Respond to New Competition
Both Ducksch and Furuhashi delivered performances that suggested they're acutely aware of the increased competition for attacking places following the club's recent forward recruitment. Ducksch has now registered four goals in his last four appearances, thriving in a slightly withdrawn role behind Stansfield that maximises his creative and finishing abilities.
Meanwhile, Furuhashi's well-taken stoppage time effort represented his first Championship goal of the campaign, arriving at an opportune moment to boost both his confidence and standing within the squad. The Japanese forward has maintained strong support from the Birmingham faithful throughout his goal drought, making this breakthrough particularly satisfying.
Solis Makes Immediate Physical Impact
The most encouraging development from a Birmingham perspective came in the form of substitute Jhon Solis, who transformed the midfield battle during his 23-minute cameo. The Colombian international introduced much-needed physical presence and urgency to Blues' engine room, demonstrating exactly the qualities that have been lacking in away fixtures this season.
Davies was particularly impressed with Solis' ability to dominate midfield duels while maintaining technical quality. "He got onto the second balls well and used his body, won a few duels and tackles," the manager observed. "You can see he's a big size but he can play and pass the ball. In the Championship you have to be strong there - that's his first test of it so he will grow."
Osman Selection Dilemma Requires Urgent Resolution
Despite the positive result, Birmingham face an immediate selection headache regarding their loan players. The arrival of Ibrahim Osman has created a surplus situation, with Championship regulations permitting only five loan players in any matchday squad.
Lewis Koumas started his fourth consecutive match against Wednesday despite Osman's availability, raising questions about whether the Liverpool loanee has played his final game for the club. With Demarai Gray also nearing full fitness, Davies must make difficult decisions before Saturday's encounter with Stoke City.
"That is something we will have to look at because you can only have the five of them," Davies acknowledged regarding the loanee situation. "We'll work on that." The resolution will likely involve either securing Patrick Roberts on a permanent deal or seeing Koumas return to Anfield prematurely.
While Birmingham can celebrate an important away victory that demonstrates their growing resilience, the management team must quickly address the tactical and selection implications of their strengthened squad as they prepare for upcoming Championship challenges.
