Birmingham City 3-1 West Bromwich Albion: Blues come from behind to beat Baggies in derby

Dion Sanderson scored his first Birmingham City goal since completing his move this summer from boyhood heroes Wolves

Birmingham City won their fourth successive West Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion as they came from behind to beat the Baggies in controversial circumstances.

After Albion went in front with an early 20-yard opener from John Swift, the game turned on a hotly-disputed 23rd-minute Blues penalty.

Albion defender Cedric Kipre was adjudged to have brought down Koji Miyoshi when the Japanese frontman appeared to slip - and Juninho Bacuna scored the resulting spot kick.

Former Wolves defender Dion Sanderson headed a second on 38 minutes to complete the first-half turnaround.

Substitute Gary Gardner then curled in a superb third from a free-kick to seal the points on 87 minutes, only five minutes after coming on.

Blues' second home win in four nights, after Tuesday's 4-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town, sent John Eustace's side climbing above Albion to fifth in the Championship table.

And Albion's first defeat in six games came at the further cost of six-goal top scorer Swift with a calf injury after the break.

Koji Miyoshi appeared to slip before he was challenged by Cedric Kipre

Goals change games

Prior to their midweek victory, Eustace's Blues had gone six matches without a win - and it looked like another defeat might be on the cards when Swift stunned St Andrew's just five minutes into the contest.

The in-form midfielder produced almost surgical accuracy to guide home a cunningly low and well-struck shot from 20 yards with his right instep, which just curled inside Blues keeper John Ruddy's left upright.

But Blues were level when Kipre closed down Miyoshi with a challenge inside the area, got up off the floor to appeal for a goal-kick as the ball had spun off the Blues player last - and was astonished to find referee James Linnington had pointed to the penalty spot.

The Albion protests were long and heated but Bacuna sent Alex Palmer the wrong way from the spot - and there was worse to follow for the aggrieved Baggies camp.

Seven minutes before half-time, Blues were ahead when Cody Drameh swung over a nicely weighted free-kick from out on the right and Sanderson rose like a salmon to send a powerful header looping in over the back-pedalling Palmer.

Darnell Furlong should have levelled from close range early in the second half but fired it inches wide - and an Albion equaliser looked on the cards as they began to dominate again.

But Birmingham settled it three minutes from the end of normal time.

Home substitute Scott Hogan was fetched down on the edge of the box by the hapless Kipre and Gardner curled a wonderful right-foot free-kick just out of Palmer's clutches into the top left corner.

John Swift put Albion in front with his sixth goal of the season before going off injured in the second half

Who's next?

Both sides now have a 15-day gap before their next game because of the latest international break.

Blues return to action with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 21 October, when Albion are at home to Plymouth Argyle.

Birmingham City boss John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:

"From where I was, I thought the ball had gone out for a corner so I was delighted when the referee made his decision.

"The penalty changed it. It gave us some spark and life. But fighting and scrapping to get something from a game like this is what this club is all about.

"And Gary Gardner's goal capped it for us. He's worked his socks off to get back to this point and showed us what he is all about, it was a fantastic free-kick.

"Playing West Bromwich Albion at home in an atmosphere like this and winning makes it a special night for us, but the Championship is relentless. It's important nobody gets carried away by the highs or the lows."

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio WM:

"It was one of the most frustrating nights I have ever had.

"The game was changed by one action and, unfortunately, the decision of the referee was not the right one.

"I feel for my team and my squad and my club. I did not speak to the referee afterwards. It is not going to change anything.

"John Swift went off with a calf injury. We do not know how long how it is going to take."