Birmingham City produce another four-midable display to end Millwall run

Birmingham City recorded a 4-0 victory for the second time in four days as they clinically dispatched in-form Millwall in the Championship.

Chris Davies’ side were in devastating form as they followed up Saturday’s thumping of Portsmouth at St Andrew’s by recording another impressive victory at home.

Paik Seung-ho set them on their way in the 28th minute with his third of the season before Demarai Gray sidefooted in the second in the last minute of the half.

Alex Cochrane smashed a left-foot volley past Max Crocombe in the Millwall goal to make it three within four minutes of the second period and Jay Stansfield added a fourth in the 66th minute to cap a ruthless show.

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Match action

It brought a sudden halt to the Lions’ five-game unbeaten run – four of which they had won while keeping three clean sheets.

But Millwall boss Alex Neil can have few complaints at the outcome – although it took a superb stop from James Beadle to prevent Luke Cundle from giving the visitors an early lead.

The England under-21 international was alert, stopping a beautifully struck 25-yard volley to keep the two sides on level terms.

Birmingham first threatened in the 27th minute when Stansfield’s snap-shot from the edge of the area tested Crocombe at his near post.

But 60 seconds later they struck.

Marvin Ducksch fed Patrick Roberts on the right and the former Manchester City man created sufficient space to fire a ball across the area, where Paik hung back and drilled a low left-foot finish into the corner of the net.

Millwall still posed a threat. Camiel Neghli brought a save from Beadle, the ball rising up off the greasy surface.

But Birmingham struck again at the end of the first half.

Stansfield nipped in to win possession from Wes Harding on the halfway line and exchanged passes with Ducksch before the England under-21 international played the ball into the danger zone where Gray sidefooted his second of the season into an unguarded net.

Second half

Four minutes after the interval, the hosts extended their advantage still further.

Roberts, who had been lively all evening, lofted a right-wing cross to the edge of the area. Cochrane was waiting for the ball to come down and he caught it on the full, sending a rasping volley beyond Crocombe who was unsighted by one of his own players.

Birmingham, who saw a 29-game unbeaten home league run come to an end last month, were not finished.

Davies rang the changes and Keshi Anderson’s short pass into Stansfield saw the striker win the battle for possession before he scored his seventh of the season by dispatching beyond the unprotected Crocombe.

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