Birmingham City extended their lead at the top of League One to seven points with a resounding 4-0 victory over Cambridge United at St. Andrew’s.
Jay Stansfield opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Ethan Laird was fouled, before an own goal from Liam Bennett and a composed finish from Kieran Dowell saw Blues take a commanding three-goal lead into half-time.
Despite Stansfield missing a second-half penalty, substitute Luke Harris added a fourth to secure Birmingham’s biggest win of the season and extend their unbeaten home league run to 14 matches.
Blues Dominate First Half
Chris Davies made three changes to the side that lost narrowly to Newcastle in the FA Cup. Paik Seung-ho returned from injury, replacing the injured Marc Leonard, while Willum Willumsson and Ryan Allsop also came into the starting XI.
Blues began brightly, pressing Cambridge high up the pitch. They were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Laird’s driving run into the box was halted by James Brophy, leaving referee Darren Drysdale with no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Stansfield stepped up to convert for his 18th goal of the season.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 39th minute when Dowell picked out Anderson in space, and his cross was inadvertently turned into the net by Bennett.
Moments later, Birmingham produced their best move of the game. A slick passing sequence released Stansfield, who teed up Anderson to dummy the ball, allowing Dowell to coolly finish past Nathan Bishop.
Cambridge Struggle to Respond
Cambridge had little response, and Blues almost added a fourth before half-time when Dowell’s header clipped the crossbar.
Davies made a half-time change, introducing Krystian Bielik for Tomoki Iwata. The home side continued to press, with Laird again involved, crossing for Willumsson, who was denied by a superb Bishop save.
Minutes later, Birmingham won another penalty after Stansfield was fouled by Ben Stevenson. However, Bishop produced an excellent stop to deny the striker his second goal of the night.
Harris Seals Comfortable Win
Despite the missed opportunity, Birmingham remained in control. Paik Seung-ho tested Bishop from distance before Davies introduced Lyndon Dykes and Scott Wright in place of Willumsson and Anderson.
The final goal arrived in the 80th minute. Wright’s cross found Harris, who took a touch before drilling a shot into the bottom corner, capping a dominant performance.
Cambridge rarely threatened late on, while Stansfield was denied a fifth in stoppage time by another Bishop save.
Writer’s View
Birmingham’s relentless home form shows why they are leading League One. Their fluid attacking play and defensive stability make them firm favourites for promotion.
For Cambridge, this was another tough evening against superior opposition. They will need to regroup quickly to avoid slipping further into the relegation scrap.
