Match ends, Sheffield Wednesday 3, Birmingham City 0.
Sheff WedSheffield Wednesday3BirminghamBirmingham City0
Fernando Forestieri's double helped Sheffield Wednesday ease to victory over Birmingham at Hillsborough.
The 25-year-old's toe-poke gave the Owls the lead early in the first half following a scramble in the box.
Kieran Lee doubled the hosts' lead two minutes later, drilling the ball low past Birmingham keeper Tomasz Kuszczak.
Forestieri wrapped up all three points with a thumping right-foot shot in the second half, as the visitors managed just two shots on target.
Wednesday dominated the early passages of play and Jack Hunt's cross from the right caused chaos in the Birmingham box before Forestieri took advantage.
The visitors were unlucky to fall two goals behind almost immediately after as the ball ricocheted off a City player and into Lee's path, allowing the midfielder time and space to find the back of the net.
Having failed to register a single shot on target in the first half, Blues fell further behind just three minutes after the break as forward Forestieri scored his second, carrying the ball from his own half before cutting inside and firing past Kuszczak.
It was a second consecutive win for Sheffield Wednesday, but for Birmingham it was a sixth defeat in 11 matches.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal: "We waited for our moment to start opening spaces and when we did we scored one then a second.
"At half-time we corrected a few things and more importantly, I said that we need to show Birmingham that we want the third goal.
"Fernando got the third goal and after that everything was in our players' control."
Birmingham manager Gary Rowett: "They've got some really good individual players who can hurt you on any given day, but until the first goal I thought there wasn't a great deal in the game.
"They got the opening goal and it was a very poor goal from our point of view, but I've seen the replay and you can quite clearly see there's a foul from Atdhe Nuhiu and then the ball comes off Forestieri's hand.
"As we see in this division, if one or two things go against you it can be a mountain to climb."
Line-ups
Sheff Wed
Formation 4-4-2
- 28Wildsmith
- 32Hunt
- 4HutchinsonSubstituted forWigginsat 81'minutes
- 5Loovens
- 36Pudil
- 33WallaceSubstituted forHelanat 66'minutes
- 20Lee
- 41Bannan
- 45ForestieriSubstituted forMcGuganat 72'minutes
- 9Nuhiu
- 14Hooper
Substitutes
- 6Semedo
- 10McGugan
- 16Wiggins
- 17Helan
- 18Lucas João
- 24Sougou
- 34Price
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 29Kuszczak
- 31CaddisBooked at 83mins
- 28Morrison
- 23Spector
- 3Grounds
- 26Davis
- 6Kieftenbeld
- 19MaghomaBooked at 43mins
- 20ToralSubstituted forShinnieat 77'minutes
- 7GraySubstituted forSolomon-Otaborat 71'minutes
- 15VaughanSubstituted forDonaldsonat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Legzdins
- 4Robinson
- 9Donaldson
- 17Solomon-Otabor
- 22Shinnie
- 44Brock-Madsen
- 45Halford
- Referee:
- Tony Harrington
- Attendance:
- 28,523
Match Stats
Home TeamSheff WedAway TeamBirmingham
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away2
- Corners
- Home3
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Sheffield Wednesday 3, Birmingham City 0.
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Foul by Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday).
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David Davis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Joe Wildsmith.
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Attempt saved. Andrew Shinnie (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Viv Solomon-Otabor.
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Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City).
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Michael Morrison (Birmingham City) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Andrew Shinnie with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Foul by Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday).
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Viv Solomon-Otabor (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Kieran Lee (Sheffield Wednesday).
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Viv Solomon-Otabor (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt blocked. Lewis McGugan (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Attempt missed. Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.
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Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City).
Booking
Paul Caddis (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Paul Caddis (Birmingham City).
