Birmingham City 2-1 Stoke City: Blues' teenage sub comes off bench to down Potters
- Published
At 16 years and 63 days, Jude Bellingham became the youngest player to score for Birmingham City, surpassing club legend Trevor Francis 49 years ago
Teenage substitute Jude Bellingham came off the bench at St Andrew's to hit Birmingham City's winner on his home debut as Blues came from behind to beat Championship bottom club Stoke City.
After a goalless first half, Stoke went ahead on 58 minutes with summer signing Liam Lindsay's first goal for the club when the full-back got in first to head home from Tommy Smith's cross.
But Lukas Jutkiewicz levelled with his third goal of the season, heading home on 73 minutes.
And just three minutes later, 16-year-old Bellingham's shot fortuitously deflected in to help stretch Blues' unbeaten home run to seven games.
Bellingham might not have been on the pitch, but for an early injury to on-loan winger Jefferson Montero, who was taken off after just half an hour, allowing the highly rated teenager to make his home debut.
As expected, Stoke were without England international keeper Jack Butland against his former club after scoring in the shoot-out as the Potters won at Leeds on penalties in the EFL Cup.
He was one of five alterations made by Potters boss Nathan Jones to the team who lost 3-0 at home to Leeds in the league a week ago.
It looked like the revamp might work when, after Lee Gregory had been denied early on by Lee Camp and then the post, Stoke went ahead.
Smith sent over a low, wickedly curling free-kick from the right and it went all the way through to find Lindsay, who lost his marker to nod in at the far post.
But Blues levelled within 15 minutes, from a sweeping move upfield, when wing-back Maxime Colin crossed from the right for Jutkiewicz to power home a far-post downward header beyond Adam Federici - the fifth time he has netted in successive home games.
And Bellingham then won it at the home Tilton End on 76 minutes when his low right-foot shot veered off the luckless Lindsay's boot to totally wrongfoot the Stoke goalkeeper and trickle in at his left corner.
That made him the youngest scorer in senior English League football since Jordon Ibe scored for Wycombe Wanderers against Sheffield Wednesday in October 2011, at 15 years and 325 days.
Blues were denied a late third when Dan Crowley sent midfielder Gary Gardner away one-on-one, only for Federici to save with his left hand.
Stoke remain at the foot of the Championship table, having picked up just one point from six games - the same as 23rd-placed Huddersfield.
Birmingham City manager Pep Clotet told BBC WM 95.6:
"I don't think Stoke's position in the league reflects the reality- we played against a really strong team. After their goal, I saw something very positive. We went forward and showed character in a difficult situation. Massive credit to the team.
"Bellingham had a very good game. We played him because we thought he was ready, and the conditions were good for him. We slowly helped Jude to mature during the summer. We introduced him to the league last week against Swansea, and we thought he was the right player to go in. He deserved it. It wasn't a present. It was just reward for his work."
Jude Bellingham told BBC WM 95.6:
"You never think you're going to get the chance to come on so early as a youngster. I'm very grateful to Pep for giving me the opportunity, despite how young I am and how early it was in the game.
"It's something I've dreamed of since I was a boy, scoring in front of the Tilton for my club. I've done it and it feels amazing but I'm very hungry for more. I've loved the club since I joined when I was seven. I can't wait to give them more of what I've got."
Stoke City manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio Stoke:
"If you go on chances, possession, how much control you have in the game- we should have won it, but we didn't. We deserved more.
"We're hitting the post and they score from a deflection. That's the run we're on. In hindsight, I'd rather we'd have scored later, because that was the turning point. As soon as we scored, they raised the tempo, and we didn't do the basics right.
"It hurts me deeply, regardless of pressure from anywhere else. I know I'm not doing okay and that the team is not doing okay, and we need to do better.
"They're really good fans, and we're not giving them what they deserve at the moment. I take full responsibility for that."