Birmingham City's miserable away form continued into the New Year as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Watford at Vicarage Road on New Year's Day. A Tom Ince hat-trick sealed a dire defeat for Chris Davies's side, extending their winless run to seven matches.
Ince's Treble Seals Hornets' Dominance
The promotion-chasing Hornets were in control from the outset. For the third time in four away games, Blues conceded inside the first 10 minutes. Georgi Chakvetadze was afforded far too much space in midfield and curled a perfect ball behind the defence for Ince to volley home. The combination almost created a second soon after, with Ince lifting another chance over goalkeeper James Beadle and into the side-netting.
Ince doubled his and Watford's tally seven minutes before the interval. Othmane Maamma's cross from the right found the winger, and although Beadle saved his initial effort, Ince fired the rebound home from close range. Birmingham offered little threat in a first half where the hosts rarely had to move out of second gear.
Half-Time Changes Fail to Stem the Tide
Manager Chris Davies, serving a touchline ban in the press box, made two changes at the break, introducing Marc Leonard and Lyndon Dykes. However, the alterations made no positive impact. Before the hour mark, Ince completed his hat-trick. After Blues conceded possession in midfield, substitute Nestory Irankunda raced away and squared for Ince to slam the ball into the roof of the net.
Watford could have added further goals, with Beadle making a smart save from Maamma and Ince himself missing a glorious chance for a fourth, blazing over from six yards. The home side seemed to take pity late on, allowing Birmingham to leave without further punishment.
Player Ratings Reflect a Poor Collective Display
James Beadle (5) – Made one good stop but his preference to punch clearances added pressure. Alfons Sampsted (4) – Struggled against Ince and was hooked at half-time. Phil Neumann (4) – Often caught too deep and exposed. Jack Robinson (5) – Showed more fight than most. Alex Cochrane (5) – Had a tough return from injury against Maamma.
Tomoki Iwata (5) – Made no impact in midfield, better at right-back. Paik Seung-ho (4) – Another anonymous away display with a poor touch. Patrick Roberts (5) – Had Blues' best chances but failed to test the keeper. Willum Willumsson (4) – Withdrawn at half-time to cheers from the away fans after giving the ball away repeatedly. Keshi Anderson (5) – Worked hard but final product was lacking. Kyogo Furuhashi (5) – Starved of service but kept running.
The substitutes fared little better. Marc Leonard (5) was careless in possession, Lyndon Dykes (5) tried without success, and Marvin Ducksch (4) offered nothing in his cameo, highlighting a dramatic dip in form.
Bleak Outlook with League Leaders Next
The damage was well and truly done by full-time. This heavy defeat leaves Birmingham City's season in a precarious position, with the gap to the play-off places widening. The 1-0 victory at Preston in October remains their only away game in 13 where they haven't conceded first. With a daunting fixture against league leaders Coventry City up next, the pressure is mounting on Chris Davies to find a solution to his side's alarming slump in form and dire away performances.
