Birmingham City 3-0 Bristol City: Riley McGree, Scott Hogan & Gary Gardner earn third straight win

Blues have now scored seven goals in three games since ending their six-match drought

Resurgent Birmingham City made it three wins in as many games as they comfortably brushed aside Bristol City.

Lee Bowyer's Blues went ahead on 14 minutes with a huge slice of good fortune as, on his 23rd birthday, Riley McGree netted his second goal in successive Championship home games.

Allowed to shoot in space 25 yards out, Australia international McGree's left-foot strike was not the most powerful of efforts but it struck the knee of visiting defender Tomas Kalas, completely wrongfooting goalkeeper Dan Bentley, and ended up in the other corner.

Blues took until the 67th minute to double their lead when, from a long punt forward from keeper Matija Sarkic, and a headed flick-on from skipper Troy Deeney, Scott Hogan ran on to guide home an angled left-foot finish.

And, from Jordan Graham's short, clipped right-wing cross, Gary Gardner, who had started the move, ran on to steer home a powerful header.

Bowyer's men climb to 13th, within two points of the play-offs, while Nigel Pearson's Robins drop down to 18th after a fourth defeat in five games.

Blues' on-loan Australian Riley McGree had cause to celebrate a second goal in successive home games

Blues' victory was all the more impressive as it came without on-loan Manchester United winger Tahith Chong, who has had to return to his parent club to have an operation on a groin injury, which he sustained in training on Friday.

But Blues' third straight win - the first time they have done that since February 2020 - was fully deserved despite the stroke of luck that put them ahead, the sort of fortune that went hiding when they went six games without scoring from mid-September.

Gardner had already headed wide before McGree's fortuitous opener, as did Hogan from Deeney's cross after they had gone ahead.

The visitors went close twice before the break through former Aston Villa striker Andi Weimann, who lobbed over and then sliced horribly wide.

But after Hogan and Gardner had both gone close after the restart, the hosts finally got the killer second with a goal of route one simplicity. And, after Gardner has made the points safe, Jeremie Bela almost grabbed a fourth, only to float his free-kick fractionally wide.

Blues will now be aiming for the top half of the table when they host Reading on Saturday, when Bristol City are back in the Midlands against Coventry City.

Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer told BBC Radio WM:

"In the first half, it was quite even. It was scrappy, but second half we created more and it could have been more.

"We've got players dropping left, right and centre but others are stepping in and stepping up and I couldn't be prouder of them.

"Scott Hogan and Troy Deeney look like they're developing an understanding and, if we can keep getting clean sheets, then we've got a chance of winning games."

Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson:

"We were too soft. We're an easy touch when teams ask questions of us - the players need to man up.

"We weren't good enough in both boxes. We have players who've not performed when the heat starts to rise. We didn't deal with the threat from Troy Deeney and Scott Hogan.

"The third goal is not good enough, I'm very annoyed about that. We conceded poor goals."