Birmingham City's struggles on the road continued as they fell to a 2-1 Championship defeat against a motivated Middlesbrough side at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
Blues Caught in Boro's 'Tidal Wave'
The match was played against a backdrop of high emotion, with Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards confirmed to be leaving for Wolverhampton Wanderers just two hours before kick-off. Rather than deflating the home side, this news created a siege mentality that interim boss Adi Viveash described as a 'tidal wave'.
Every tackle and clearance was celebrated like a goal by the home supporters, whose anti-Edwards chants rarely subsided throughout the match. Birmingham walked into an atmosphere far more challenging than anticipated, facing one of the Championship's best home records under particularly difficult circumstances.
Missed Opportunities Prove Costly
Manager Chris Davies rightly pointed out that his team created enough clear chances to merit at least a point from the encounter. Jay Stansfield found himself through on goal early in the second half but appeared caught in two minds, while Patrick Roberts had two good opportunities at the back post that he managed to get on target.
The quality of chances created represented a significant improvement over recent performances, particularly compared to the Bristol City match two weeks earlier. Despite Demarai Gray scoring his third goal of the season, equalisers from Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney secured all three points for the home side.
Away Form Must Improve for Play-Off Push
The defeat highlighted Birmingham's concerning away record, which sees them ranked in the bottom five for points per game on their travels. Having lost five of their eight away matches, this contrasts sharply with their impressive home form that places them in the top six for points at St Andrew's.
Davies acknowledged that while home form will likely remain their foundation throughout the season, finding a template for away victories is essential. The ugly win at Preston North End earlier in the season should serve as a blueprint for how to secure points on the road.
Despite the disappointment, Blues can reflect on a respectable return of nine points from the six-game period between October and November international breaks. This points-per-game ratio would yield 69 points over a full season - typically enough to secure a play-off position.
Davies commented: "I think we've improved. It's a third of the way through and we've seen a bit of everything. In the last few weeks I think our performance level has improved."
Birmingham City now sit 11th in the Championship table with 21 points from their opening 15 matches as they head into the third international break of the season.
