[monks data]

Championship

Aug 16, 2014 at 3pm UK

Birmingham Birmingham City
1-0
Brighton Brighton & Hove Albion

Thomas (49')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Wes Thomas gives Birmingham City slender victory

By Chris O'Keefe, Reporter | 16 August 2014

Birmingham City edge out Brighton & Hove Albion in the Championship, with Wes Thomas scoring the winner for the Blues in the early stages of the second half.

An early second-half goal from Wes Thomas saw Birmingham City to a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

His winner came four minutes into the second half as he met David Cotterill's cross to beat David Stockdale with a well-placed header and condemn the Seagulls to a second straight Championship defeat.

Clayton Donaldson of Birmingham City tangles with Aaron Hughes of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion at St Andrews (stadium) on August 16, 2014 © Getty Images

Earlier, Albion had looked like scoring as both Kazenga LuaLua and Craig Mackail-Smith went close for the visitors, while Bruno also wasted a chance from a set-piece situation.

Birmingham themselves had threatened the Seagulls goal as Paul Caddis and Jonathan Spector were frustrated by Stockdale.

Mackail-Smith missed a golden opportunity to bring the Sussex club back on level terms after Gordon Greer headed the ball into his path, but from six yards out, the forward skied his shot.

Sami Hyypia then introduced Liverpool loanee Joao Teixeira for his Brighton debut and the Portuguese playmaker almost had an impact when he set up Rohan Ince, who saw his effort blocked.

In the end, the Seagulls, who kept 20 clean sheets in the Championship last term, fell to a second consecutive loss to give their hopes of building on last season's top-six finish an early setback.