Birmingham City pulled off a stunning upset in the Championship, ending a seven-match winless streak by defeating league leaders Coventry City 3-2 in a pulsating Midlands derby at St Andrew's.
Ducksch Delivers in Dramatic Derby
The hero for the Blues was German striker Marvin Ducksch, who scored a goal in each half to secure a vital three points. The victory was sealed in a chaotic finale that saw Coventry defender Bobby Thomas dismissed in stoppage time after an altercation with Birmingham's Phil Neumann.
Chris Davies's side took the lead three times during the match, only to be pegged back twice by a Coventry team managed by Frank Lampard. The result means the Sky Blues have now won just twice in their last eight league outings, offering hope to the chasing pack.
Goal-First Half Sets the Tone
The match exploded into life from the first whistle. Birmingham struck first after just eight minutes. A move started in their own half culminated in new signing Kai Wagner, a £2m arrival from Philadelphia Union, crossing for Ducksch to volley home expertly.
Coventry's response was immediate, levelling within two minutes. After Mason Ephron-Clark caused problems, the ball fell to Josh Eccles 25 yards out. His powerful drive flew into the net as the Birmingham defence backed off. Eccles then held up a shirt bearing the name 'Allen' in a touching tribute to teammate Jamie Allen, whose mother had passed away overnight.
Birmingham regained the lead in the 17th minute. Lewis Koumas, on loan from Liverpool, scored his first goal for the club, rounding goalkeeper Carl Rushworth after being played in by Patrick Roberts.
Second-Half Surges and a Sending Off
Coventry drew level for a second time on the hour mark. Jack Rudoni was given space on the edge of the box and his low drive beat James Beadle in the Birmingham goal. Parity lasted just three minutes, however, as the hosts hit back instantly.
A long clearance found Roberts, who fed Ducksch on the right. The German forward cut inside and fired past Rushworth at his near post to make it 3-2 and ultimately win the game. Coventry's frustrations boiled over in added time when Thomas was shown a straight red card for aiming a slap at Neumann.
Elsewhere in the Championship
In other Championship action, QPR secured a 3-0 home win over bottom side Sheffield Wednesday. Rumarn Burrell opened the scoring with his tenth goal of the season before Rayan Kolli added a late double. The victory was QPR's first in four matches, though it was marred by injuries to several players including Burrell.
A number of scheduled EFL fixtures across the divisions were postponed due to the cold weather, including Portsmouth vs Ipswich in the Championship and several games in League One and Two.
