Alfie May enters race with Jay Stansfield as Birmingham City star quietens his critics
Birmingham City finished their festive fixtures with a 3-0 win at Wigan Athletic to return to the top of the League One table.
Alfie May netted a brace and Willum Willumsson clinched the points with Blues’ third of the afternoon. Blackpool’s late equaliser at Wycombe Wanderers ensured Blues reclaimed top spot three short days after losing it.
Blues recorded their biggest win of the League One season in what was their 13th away victory on the road in all competitions since Chris Davies arrived. Here are our talking points post-Wigan…
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11 points in 13 days
Blues have 53 points from half a season and remain on course to break Wolverhampton Wanderers’ record of 103 in a League One season. Davies and his players won’t face such a taxing period of games again and can be pleased with their haul of 11 from a possible 15 over Christmas and New Year.
Blues wouldn’t have banked on two teams being in touch at this stage but Wycombe and Wrexham have performed exceptionally to keep pace. However, Blues do have a game-in-hand on Wycombe and two on Wrexham so the opportunity to pull clear is there.
Ethan Laird sets the bar
May grabbed the headlines – and the stanchion behind the goal after scoring his first – but Ethan Laird was the best player on the pitch. Laird had a hand in all three Blues goals, albeit he will only be credited with two assists.
Laird has been criticised for his end product, or lack of it, throughout this season but found the precision in his passing to match his pace at Wigan. Speed has been a missing ingredient in Blues’ play of late and Laird has that in abundance.
Davies commented: “Ethan’s had a good season overall, he’s had an injury that’s interrupted it within that, but when he gets going in the attacking third with his pace he’s very hard to stop and then you add in his quality – and he hasn’t enough showed it this season – he’s picked out Willum expertly for that goal. He was involved in all three goals, so three assists essentially, outstanding.”
May thrives without Stansfield… again
May has had to sacrifice himself for the team at times this season and his goal tally has taken a hit as a result, but the 31-year-old again grabbed the mantle in the absence of Jay Stansfield. The last time Stansfield missed a league game May contributed two assists in a win at Lincoln, this time he traded up for two goals.
Six of May’s 11 goals this season have come when Stansfield hasn’t been on the pitch. Davies has found a way to make the pair co-exist over the last month but it’s clear May excels under the pressure of being Blues’ primary source of goals.
With 10 goals, nine of which have come from open play, May is Blues’ top scorer in League One excluding penalties. Stansfield takes spot-kicks and, having scored five times from 12 yards, sits on 12 goals in just 17 league matches. Both May and Stansfield are in the race for the League One golden boot.
Luke Harris quietens his critics
Davies set Luke Harris up to succeed against Wigan by playing him in his favoured number 10 position with plenty of runners around him. Laird was always available down the right, May was making runs in behind, Taylor Gardner-Hickman never stopped on the left and Willumsson wanted to combine.
Harris displayed a better touch and caused Wigan problems on the half-turn. To keep his place in the team Harris will have to improve further, but the 19-year-old enjoyed one of his better games in a Blues shirt on Saturday.
Just at the time when Blues fans were questioning Davies’ faith in the Fulham loanee, Harris showed why he can be a useful option during the run-in.
