Sheffield Wednesday were beaten at Hillbrough, losing 2-0 at the hands of Birmingham City thanks to late goals from Marvin Ducksch and Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Owls began the days play bottom of the Championship, 35 points from safety on -7 points after their 18 point deduction earlier on in the season, and were looking to pick up a first victory since September, Birmingham went into the game in 14th place, on 35 points sitting 8 points off the playoff places, with the Blues looking to return to winning ways after a 1-1 draw with Swansea City last time out.
Birmingham were certainly the team coming into the game with more confidence, and that showed as they started on the front foot, a Tomoki Iwata throw in was flicked beautifully by Lewis Koumas into the path of Marvin Ducksch, the German forward laid the ball off the Jay Stansfield, who’s shot was well saved by January signing Murphy Cooper in the Wednesday goal.
As the first half went on, Sheffield Wednesday grew in confidence, and that was demonstrated when Bailey Cadamateri managed to work the ball out to the left where Barry Bannan had found some space, the Wednesday captain struck from distance, but the ball went narrowly wide of the top right corner.
The game moved on into the second half, and it was Sheffield Wednesday who started it the brighter, a fast break from the Owls saw Svante Ingelsson able to shift the ball left to Bailey Cadamateri, the young Jamaican international picked up the ball with confidence, curling his shot towards the bottom right corner, but his luck was out as the ball hit the post.
From there on in it was the visitors who took the initiative as they were really turning the screw, there was a heart in mouth moment for Murphy Cooper, as the goalkeeper went to claim a cross from Tommy Doyle, he was inches away from stepping back across his own goaline, but fortunately for him he managed to stop himself just in time.
The pressure was building, and Murphy Cooper was called into action once again to make a terrific double save, first to deny Marvin Ducksch, before having to make a superb point blank save from Tomoki Iwata with his feet.
Finally, in the 83rd minute, Birmingham got their due reward, Kai wagner progressed down the left wing delivering the cross to the back post, Cole McGhee was there to head away for Sheffield Wednesday but only as far as Jay Stansfield who got his shot away, the Stansfield shot was going wide but Marvin Ducksch was there to do what all good strikers should do and be in the right place at the right time to turn the ball into the bottom corner of the net and give Birmingham City the lead.
With the game petering out, the killer blow came in the second minute of stoppage time, Cole McGhee’s back pass to Murphy Cooper was under hit allowing for the sharp as ever Kyogo Furuhashi to intercept, there was still work to do for Kyogo as he had a tight angle, but he managed to squeeze the ball under Cooper and into the back of the net to send those away fans back to the second City with 3 points.
A victory for Birmingham which moves them up to 13th in the Championship table, now only 5 points off the playoffs, Sheffield Wednesday still remain 35 points from safety, as their winless run stretches to 22 games in all competitions.