Phil Neumann's contentious first-half header gave Birmingham City a much-needed 1-0 victory at Preston North End, ending the hosts' unbeaten home league record and easing the visitors' mounting anxiety. The German defender glanced in Alex Cochrane's free-kick midway through the opening period and, despite furious Preston protests that the ball had struck his arm, the goal stood as the decisive moment of a hard-fought night.
Preston, who had lost only one of their previous eight Championship games and had not been beaten at Deepdale in the league this season, created enough chances to take at least a point. But Chris Davies's side, who came into the match with just one win in their past eight in all competitions after defeat by Hull City, produced a disciplined away performance and survived a late aerial onslaught to claim only their second league victory on the road this term.
Blues strike first after finely poised opening
Both sides signalled their intent early with awkward, swirling deliveries into the box that almost caught out the goalkeepers. Within the space of a minute, Keshi Anderson's cross for Birmingham forced Daniel Iversen into a hurried adjustment, while at the other end Andrija Vukcevic's ball towards the far post made James Beadle back-pedal anxiously.