Birmingham City 0-3 Huddersfield Town: Terriers beat Blues to boost survival hopes
- Published
Karlan Grant has scored 18 goals in 37 Championship appearances this season
Huddersfield Town climbed out of the Championship bottom three as they comfortably beat Birmingham City to claim their biggest away win of the season.
Terriers top scorer Karlan Grant got his side going with an early penalty after being fouled by home skipper Harlee Dean.
And, although Grant then had a second spot-kick saved by Blues keeper Lee Camp straight after the break, Town quickly doubled their lead through Fraizer Campbell.
Elias Kachunga then conjured up a third in the 72nd minute to lift Danny Cowley's side three points clear of trouble in 19th - and within four points of Pep Clotet's City, who are 17th and still winless in three matches since the restart.
After a first win in four games, having previously been pointless since the post-pandemic season resumed, Huddersfield now have a chance to capitalise this Saturday when they host Preston. Birmingham face a tough away game at revitalised promotion hopefuls Fulham.
Terriers take their chances
Huddersfield took just 10 minutes to convert their early superiority into a goal when Grant turned inside Dean, who chopped him down for as blatant a penalty as they come.
Grant tucked away a right-foot penalty, but Blues found their composure to threaten and had a golden chance to equalise.
Yet, from Dan Crowley's right-flank delivery, the normally reliable Lukas Jutkiewicz somehow planted his unmarked header over.
The much sought-after teenage midfielder Jude Bellingham almost got Scott Hogan in behind on a counter-attack just before the break. But Blues still trailed at the turnaround - and within six minutes of the restart, that deficit was doubled.
Campbell has been a regular scorer against Birmingham throughout his career
That second goal could have come even quicker had Huddersfield not missed a penalty. But Camp dived to his left to save the second of Grant's two efforts - this one a lot more contentious a decision after Gary Gardner was harshly adjudged to have brought down Chris Schindler.
But, within a minute, Campbell got his toe to Harry Toffolo's superb left-wing cross to divert the ball out of Camp's reach - his seventh career goal against Blues and his third in his previous two visits to this ground
It was Campbell his second against City this season, having netted when the two sides last met in November. But, in the 17 games in between he had not scored at all.
There was still more to come when Blues were cut open again, substitute Steve Mounie headed back across goal and Kachunga nodded the ball home to complete the scoring.
Birmingham City head coach Pep Clotet told BBC Sport: "As a team we needed a strong start. We had chances but they didn't go in. And we defended softly. We didn't like the game or the result.
"We have to put our hands up and take it as a bad game. That's what it was. Huddersfield were better than us in most things.
"We have to bounce back and look at trying get three points on Saturday. I have a good relationship with all the players, I respect them and trust them 100 per cent. The team are fully focused. It's not like they are not trying. They have a desire."
Huddersfield manager Danny Cowley told BBC Sport: "Having Fraizer Campbell back was huge. It is difficult to over-exaggerate it when you haven't got a recognised number nine and it really hurt us the last couple of games. He was exceptional and fully deserving of his goal.
"It was an important win and a good performance but it doesn't make us a good team. A good team produces consistently and there will be no over-celebrating.
"We've had a lot of criticism, most of it being fair, but when you are in a difficult moment you learn a lot about yourself. It is easy to stand tall when things are going well."