Birmingham City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion – Hannibal Mejbri stars in Blues’ derby win

Hannibal Mejbri scored the first and made the second as Birmingham City made it back-to-back Championship victories by comfortably winning the West Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion.

He then swung over the left-wing corner from which Polish midfielder Krystian Bielik also claimed his first goal for the club seven minutes into the second half.

On a night when their fans again noisily protested at the Championship club’s ongoing failure to find new owners, it was an indication that John Eustace’s side have rediscovered that backs-to-the-wall spirit that carried them through the first half of the season.

While Blues built on their 4-3 comeback win at Swansea last Saturday to move 10 points clear of danger, it was under-par Albion’s third defeat in four league and cup games.

Albion were always up against it from the moment that Mejbri made such a sensational breakthrough.

Blues won a free-kick close to the edge of the penalty area on the right side at the Gil Merrick Stand end – and Mejbri quickly observed that David Button’s positioning left him a gap to aim for inside the Albion keeper’s left-hand upright.

That gap still had to be found though – and he found it with a low right-foot curler bent superbly around the outside of Grady Diangana, who was acting as a one-man wall.

If Button, only playing because of the injury to Alex Palmer, might have been disappointed with himself, he then had to be at his sharpest to keep out another more fiercely struck free-kick from Mejbri just before the break.

But seven minutes into the second half, Bielik rose highest to meet Mejbri’s left-wing delivery to evade Button’s despairing late dash from the line and head in the clinching second.

Albion boss Carlos Corberan, in his first game since ending speculation linking him with the managerial vacancy at Leeds United by signing a new long-term Albion contract, made five second-half substitutions – three of them all in one go – but to no avail.

Although the Baggies had more than two thirds of the possession and remained camped in the Blues half for long periods late on, they managed just one shot on target.

Who’s next?

Blues now follow their fourth Friday night win of the season with another floodlit home game against Cardiff City on Tuesday, followed by next Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield.

Albion now host Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday, followed by the trip to former boss Slaven Bilic’s Watford on Monday week.

Birmingham City boss John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:

“We were excellent. I’ve said throughout the season that it’s important nobody gets carried away with the wins just as we didn’t with the five losses. But I’m so proud of this group of players. They never stop fighting.

“It was fantastic from minute one. And Hannibal was unplayable. He plays on the edge. He was all over the pitch.

“I want to make the fans proud of this team – and they dig deep for each other. With all of the protests and that kind of stuff going on, they showed the character we have.”

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio WM:

“Our attack didn’t work, and they scored two goals which had a massive impact.

“They surprised us with that first goal, to the cost of the keeper, then the second goal changed the game.

“I have to analyse the game before I make any decisions about who plays in the next game.”