Birmingham City vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
St. Andrew's StadiumAttendance20,107.
Saturday 16 December 2017 18:55, UK
Jack Robinson scored twice to earn QPR a 2-1 win at Birmingham which plunged the hosts to the foot of the Championship table.
The full-back scored his first league goal to open the scoring in the 16th minute and grabbed the winner seven minutes from time after Sam Gallagher's equaliser.
Robinson's double earned Rangers their first away win in 18 games on their travels, their last one having come in a 4-1 win at Birmingham in February.
The situation is looking increasingly bleak for Blues, though, as they lost for the third game running. Steve Cotterill has presided over just two wins in his 11 games in charge and has seen his side manage just four goals.
The early play was frantic, evidence of two sides out of form. Neither side were able to create much of note, although Birmingham were guilty of conceding too many free-kicks. And that proved costly in the 16th minute when a high looping free-kick from wide on the right was deftly headed home by Robinson.
Birmingham offered nothing as an attacking force, giving Rangers little cause for concern, with visiting captain Nedum Onuoha looking especially solid. At the other end, in contrast, Ranger's powerful striker Matt Smith proved a menace.
It was not until the half hour that Birmingham mustered their first attempt on goal as Jota headed just wide at the far post following a corner.
And the hosts had a let-off a couple of minutes before the break. Maikel Kieftenbeld inexplicably knocked the ball back towards his own goal, only to send Conor Washington through, but the Rangers man fired wide of the far post with only David Stockdale to beat.
Instead Birmingham hit back with a 57th-minute equaliser through Gallagher. Alex Smithies failed to hold Kieftenbeld's low shot and Gallagher followed up to score.
Boosted by the goal, Birmingham suddenly began to attack with more purpose. But Rangers substitute Idrissa Sylla should have put the Londoners back in front when he headed wide less then 30 seconds after replacing Smith.
Robinson, however, made no mistake with the winner as he rifled home with his left foot his 25 yards.
Steve Cotterill: "When I came in we were second from bottom so nothing has changed. It makes it worse looking at the table. We now have to work harder to get out of trouble. Some of the problems we had last season we still have. There is no quick fix to this situation. It is not all about adding new players as the current players are burdened with the problem. I cannot fault their efforts.
"The lack of goals is nothing new so far as Birmingham is concerned. It compounds the situation and doesn't make it easy. I do not think we deserved to lose. In the first half we were nervous but in the second half we were upbeat. We deservedly got the equaliser and I thought we were going to go on and win the game as they were on the back foot."
Ian Holloway: "It is 115 games without him scoring in the league and I have just asked the doping people to test him. Something must be going on. Joking apart, the boy has been magnificent.
"For me Robinson has made the most progress I have had with any player I have had in my career. His determination is the secret to his goals. He played for Liverpool when he was 16 and England and it hadn't gone the way he wanted because of injuries. I must say I am so proud of him. I am bursting with pride and I told him that before the game."