According SkySport News. One step closer to Wembley and £45,000 banked as Birmingham City deliver brutal slap-down

Birmingham City advanced to the knockout rounds of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with a thrashing of Fulham under-21s. Brian Dick examines the game’s main talking points…

For most of the season, Birmingham City fans expected someone to get a spanking. Fulham’s Under-21s suffered a 7-1 defeat yesterday night.

It’s perhaps not surprising that it happened in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy; it may have been a more powerful statement if it had come in League One, but let’s not grumble too much. It’s been three decades since St Andrews hosted a Magnificent Seven.

Chris Davies’ team advanced to the knockout stages of the competition, thanks to goals from Jay Stansfield and Ayumu Yokoyama, as well as Alfie May, Keshi Anderson, and Lyndon Dykes.

The 6,000 people who came to watch were rewarded for their efforts, and here are the highlights of a night full of talking points.

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A yawning gap.

The Blues started brightly, but for around 50 minutes, they were in a true struggle with a committed and, at times, dangerous Fulham outfit.

With their roster of experienced pros, the hosts constantly looked like they might blast the doors off the match – but they also looked like they could make a mistake that would allow their youthful opponents to get a footing.

All four defenders gave up control in their defensive third, and several of them stood by as Martial Godo worked his way across the penalty area before beating Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Fulham started the second half better than the other team, forcing a corner and a low save from Peacock-Farrell, and they might have easily gotten back into the game.

Where their wheels went off was after the third goal, when Yokoyama scored his first Blues goal past Alex Borto. As the Blues’ confidence increased, Fulham’s dwindled, and by the end, they looked more like eleven development players than a development squad.

Seven goals from a staggering 35 shots, 13 on target, highlighted the difference between a team of seasoned professionals and a squad of youthful players on their way.

Opportunity knocks.

Peacock-Farrell would have relished his return to the squad. After losing his spot to Ryan Allsop a month ago and recovering from a shoulder injury, the Northern Ireland international maintained a controlled demeanor.

He had little chance with the Fulham goal, but recovered to make a great stop from an acute angle to deny Josh King following an Alfons Sampsted error, then got down just in time to prevent Kristian Sekularac at the opening of the second period. That was pretty much his final appearance until the very end, when he made a great stop to deny King for the second time when the striker really should have scored.

His distribution was decent, despite not being pressured with much desire, and he was a reasonable presence in terms of crosses.

Sampsted was the other starter who has battled for opportunities recently, failing to make the matchday squad in the previous two games. The Blues’ ‘other’ Iceland international had his first start for the club and was fine in the first half, despite some sloppy play in both attack and defence.

He did well at the end of the game, as Fulham’s push faded and he shifted across to left-back, unleashing a long-range shot that sailed just past the post and set up a goal for Dykes.

At the moment, it’s tough to view the 26-year-old as anything other than a third-string right defender, though his time in relief of Alex Cochrane on the other side may push him back to the bench. Perhaps not how he envisioned his season beginning in a Champions League qualifier for Twente against RB Salzburg.

Sheer quality

There were numerous standout performances, including Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s commanding midfield play, Stansfield’s precision finishing, and May’s persistent running. The former Charlton striker buzzed with desire, finding gaps around Stansfield and frequently combining up with his younger teammate. When he achieved his objective, it was a well-deserved reward for his hard work that evening.

The fact that it came from Willum Williamson’s pass should come as no surprise.Blues’ creator-in-chief outperformed the opposition with three assists, bringing his total goal involvement to 10 (four goals and six assists) in 14 matches.

What jumped out in this game was both his willingness to get back into position to assist Sampsted with the dangerous Godo and the depth of his passing options.

Like a professional golfer, the 26-year-old used every club in his bag, using woods to locate May with a 50-yard drive over the top, irons to draw Stansfield into shooting positions, and a perfect touch with the putter to set up the fourth goal. He was simply too talented for Fulham’s youngsters.

The other notable exhibit was Yokoyama’s. The Japanese flier checked off two key boxes by playing the entire 90 minutes and producing real results – two stunning goals – despite his simmering danger.

With the Blues now handicapped by injuries in the flank positions, with Emil Hansson and Scott Wright both out, Yokoyama’s increased adaption to the English game would be a huge benefit to Davies. The fact that he is a winger who can play both inside and outside his fullback makes the idea very appealing. However, the joyous dance may require some effort.

History boys

This was the first time the Blues had scored seven goals at home since December 1994, when they overcame Blackpool 7-1 when leading the third division and winning the league and cup. As Barry Fry’s team established its pedigree, Steve Claridge and Louie Donowa both scored twice.

It was also the first time they had won six home games in a row since 2001, providing additional evidence that the Blues are on the right track for a historic season in which records will be broken, memories will be formed, and promotion will undoubtedly be accomplished.

The Blues are currently in the knockout rounds in the southern section round of 32, with five games from Wembley, including a two-leg semi-final.

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