Sheffield Wednesday 3 Birmingham 0: Jordan Rhodes scores on his Owls home debut following loan move from Middlesbrough as Blues brushed aside at Hillsborough
The comfortable victory sees Wednesday firmly in the play-off spots, while denting Birmingham's own top six hopes
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JORDAN RHODES scored on his home debut as the January loan signing from Middlesbrough helped Sheffield Wednesday to a comfortable victory against Birmingham.
Rhodes, who will sign for around £8million at the end of the deal if Wednesday are happy, nodded his side into a ninth-minute lead to start the ball rolling.
Second half strikes from fellow January new-boy Sam Winnall and substitute Adam Reach sealed an impressive victory at Hillsborough.
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It couldn't have started any better for Rhodes as he settles into his new surroundings at Hillsborough.
Ross Wallace floated a free kick into the box in the ninth minute, and the on-loan Middlesbrough striker leapt like a salmon, far higher than two defenders, to power a header home.
After turning to celebrate to the fans, he sprinted to the touchline and jumped on his father, Andy, who is goalkeeper coach at the club.
Hosts Wednesday breathed a huge sigh of relief in the 20th minute when Birmingham were denied by the woodwork twice in succession.
First home centre-half Sam Hutchinson saw his header come back off his own post, and then Brum's Emilio Nsue clatters the woodwork with a fierce strike.
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Whatever Gianfranco Zola said to his Birmingham charges at half-time seemed to stir them into action, and they gradually began to take charge of the game.
But the equalising goal would not come, although Craig Gardner's 20-yard chip effort on 78th minute was the closest the Blues came as it crashed off the crossbar.
And the visitors were made to pay for their lack of cutting edge almost immediately.
Jack Hunt swung a delicious ball into the box and Rhodes' fellow January transfer window signing Sam Winnall stooped low to power a header home for 2-0.
It was also the former Barnsley man's first goal for his new club.
And gloss was added to the scoreline four minutes from time when substitute Adam Reach skipped through the Birmingham back line to coolly slot past Tomasz Kuszczak in the away goal.
After the game, Zola said that he didn't think his team deserved to lose.
"I think the team played one of the best games we have played so it's frustrating," he said.
"I have to pick up the things that need to be improved, and we will get better.
"If you go to a team like Sheffield Wednesday, you cannot start so slowly and make so many mistakes, that was the problem today."