Express & Star

Reading 2 Blues 1

Birmingham’s hopes of Premier League survival took a massive knock as they went down 2-1 to fellow strugglers Reading.

Blues remain in serious danger with just seven games left to play as the Royals came out on top in this crunch six-pointer at the Madejski Stadium with Andre Bikey’s two goals cancelling out an effort from Birmingham’s Mauro Zarate. 

Reading took the lead in the 31st minute when Stephen Hunt won a free-kick which Jon Oster floated into the box, and Bikey headed home powerfully.

Mikael Forssell came closest for Blues in the first half - and it was the Finnish striker who created the equaliser after the break.

Forssell raced to the byline and pulled the ball back for Zarate, who stabbed home from four yards.

The leveller came after Oster had missed a great chance to put Reading 2-0 in front when he fired over from six yards out.

The equaliser gave Birmingham a sense of belief and they went looking for all three points, Forssell seeing his shot saved by Marcus Hahnemann.

But poor defending from set-pieces proved Blues’ undoing as Bikey headed in Nicky Shorey’s free-kick with 11 minutes to go.

The defeat leaves Blues just a point outside the relegation zone.

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