Birmingham City 4-1 Huddersfield Town: Blues seal first win in seven

Siriki Dembele (left) scored for the first time since the opening day of the Championship season

Birmingham City beat Huddersfield Town in the Championship to secure their first win in seven games in all competitions.

Fit-again Siriki Dembele tormented defenders all night on his first start since 19 August to score a brilliant double.

He rifled the ball home from outside the area for his first in the third minute, then Koji Miyoshi extended Blues' lead before creating Dembele's second.

Michal Helik netted a consolation for Huddersfield, only for teenage Wales international Jordan James to come off the bench and restore his side's three-goal winning margin with only his second league goal.

Blues move back up to 10th in the table, ahead of Friday's first derby of the season at home to West Bromwich Albion, while Huddersfield drop down to 19th.

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Dembele made the most of the game's first clear chance, shrugging off the attention of two players and driving the ball into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Terriers goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.

The visitors responded with a long-range shot of their own from Delano Burgzorg, whose strike was dipping under the bar before John Ruddy tipped it over for a corner.

But Dembele remained a threat, cutting in from the left and sending another powerful effort wide, before winger Miyoshi smashed the ball into the roof of the net from right-back Cody Drameh's cross.

That knocked Huddersfield's gameplan out of shape and Birmingham remained on top, although Terriers midfielder Ben Wiles did have a well-struck shot saved.

Darren Moore - who suffered his first defeat as Terriers boss after starting with two draws - made three changes at the break.

But the home pressure continued, as Miyoshi's neat, clipped pass proved inch perfect for Dembele, who calmly slotted the ball into the same corner he had expertly found in the first half.

As Birmingham took their foot off the accelerator, Huddersfield defender Tom Edwards sent a strike high and over as Blues defenders scrambled to clear.

Helik tapped in to give the away supporters something to cheer in added time, but substitute James had the final say with an excellent hit from distance to add gloss to Birmingham's biggest home Championship win since Gary Rowett's Demarai Gray-inspired side beat Reading 6-1 in December 2014.

They did score four, Jude Bellingham included, in a nine-goal thriller against Leeds United in December 2019, but they had not scored four goals in a home league win since Rowett's Blues beat Rotherham United 4-2 in October 2016.

During the second half, Blues midfielder Juninho Bacuna reported that racist abuse was directed at him by a supporter in the home crowd. The club responded by emphasising "there is no room for racism in the game".

Birmingham City head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:

"It was very pleasing. We've been creating chances and playing well - and tonight we were clinical.

"Dembele was out for six weeks with a hamstring injury. We can't afford to lose him again. He was outstanding.

"We've got a fantastic group. It's important that we get more players back fit. When we've got a fit squad, we can be very effective."

On the Bacuna incident: "There is no room for it [racism] in society, let alone football. It's disgusting. Hopefully it gets sorted."

Huddersfield Town manager Darren Moore:

"That was a flat performance. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb.

"We played too many stray, loose passes. It was a bad, unusual night for us.

"Yes it's disappointing, but we will regroup and continue to build.

"Unfortunately, Juninho Bacuna reported to the official that a home spectator has racially abused him. Tom Edwards heard it and reported it too, so it is with the officials now."