Birmingham City 2-0 Stoke City: Lukas Jutkiewicz double sees off Potters
- Published
After going almost four months without a goal Lukas Jutkiewicz has now scored three in as many home games
Birmingham City striker Lukas Jutkiewicz scored both goals to beat Stoke City and edge Blues further clear of trouble in the Championship.
The big target man broke the deadlock on 42 minutes when he headed Marc Roberts' right-wing cross into the bottom right corner.
He then scored again eight minutes after the break, firing home a left-foot shot to complete Blues' third successive home league win under Lee Bowyer - as many as they had enjoyed in their previous 32.
That lifts Bowyer's rejuvenated side up three places to 18th, now nine points clear of the relegation zone, while injury-hit Stoke drop one place to 12th after their sixth defeat in 10 games.
Blues already had a fine record at home to Stoke, who have not won at Birmingham since October 1988.
No side has had more Championship clean sheets this season than Stoke (19) and, having each notched up seven 0-0 draws this season, for most of the first half it looked as if another might be on the cards, with injury-hit Stoke carrying the greater threat.
Lukas Jutkiewicz rose highest to meet Marc Roberts' right-wing cross and break the deadlock against Stoke
But Jutkiewicz put an end to that, scoring his 50th league goal for Blues with a move straight off the training ground from a throw-in.
Roberts shaped to take a trademark long throw, only to pick out Maxime Colin, who touched it back to Roberts - and the defender's first-time curling cross was headed home powerfully by Jutkiewicz.
And he doubled Blues' lead on 53 minutes when he rammed home the rebound after goalkeeper Adam Davies, diving low to his left, failed to hold a 25-yard curling effort from half-time substitute Riley McGree.
Blues could have added to their tally but Jonathan Leko took an extra touch when clean through and was dispossessed instead of squaring to the unmarked McGree 10 yards out, before Ivan Sunjic shot just wide.
But a third straight home win for the first time since October 2019 was also their third straight clean sheet - their best in just over three years.
Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer told BBC WM:
"That's another good three points, it's a good Stoke side. The important thing is we have won again at home, another clean sheet - that's three clean sheets on the spin.
"Defensively we looked solid. Whenever they asked questions they dealt with it. It was very good from start to finish.
"We have given ourselves a chance - that's all we can ask for. We have just got to try and fight for every point and see where it takes us."
Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill:
"We did start well. We had a goal disallowed, It is a very tight offside although I haven't seen it back, and then we switch off with the throw-in.
"Frustration creeps into us and creeps into our play. The game is so fractured because it's just throw-ins and free-kicks and the officials allow the game to be so slow. It's the most frustrating thing.
"I accept that Birmingham will manage the game and manage the time but we had situations when players were coming from right centre-back to the far left side to take throw-ins and the referee is letting that happen at a very slow pace."