Two heavyweights of the League One scene faced off against each other on Monday night, as the glitz and glamour of the pre-match build-up between Birmingham City and Wrexham wasn’t let down by the drama on the pitch.
The likes of Tom Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney having a stake in both third-tier sides dominated the talk beforehand, with both the Blues and Red Dragons having an American flavour to them now owing to the powers that be at both outfits.
Even David Beckham watched on as Birmingham emphatically beat their Welsh opponents 3-1, with Jay Stansfield standing out for the much-talked-about home side up top.
Stansfield’s performance vs Wrexham
Spending obscene amounts of cash to lure Stansfield back to St. Andrew’s after a bright loan spell looks to have been a fine move by the Blues, with Stansfield standing out throughout against Phil Parkinson’s tricky Wrexham side.
The new £20m buy would continue where he last left off in a Blues strip – having fired home 13 goals last season in all competitions for his relegated team – with two goals registered against the might of the Red Dragons during his second league debut.
He was very much a clinical finisher on the night, with only 28 touches of the ball and six accurate passes tallied up, as Stansfield waited for the perfect moment to strike as a poacher for Chris Davies’ men.
With Alfie May also in attack, the Birmingham forward positions are a frightening prospect to get your head around when they’re all on song, as May already has four goals next to his name from five League One games.
But, it was his partner in crime up top that ended up stealing the show against Wrexham.
Yet, Stansfield will be very thankful that his teammate in Alex Cochrane continued to deliver inch-perfect crosses into the danger area – like the one above – to help him in his pursuit to pick up a brace.
Cochrane was terrific throughout for his new employers, having also been a bumper signing during the recently closed transfer window from Heart of Midlothian, who has adjusted to the demands of EFL football swimmingly.
Cochrane’s performance vs Wrexham
The 24-year-old full-back has been an ever-present part of Davies’ side in the league since making the switch to England from Scotland, and it’s clear to see why he’s been so trusted to make that left-back spot his own.
The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion youngster was lively throughout bombing down the left, with his sublime cross to pick out Stansfield for his second of the night a major highlight, among many other standout moments.
Cochrane’s performance in numbers | |
|---|---|
Stat | Cochrane |
Minutes played | 90 |
Goals scored | 0 |
Assists | 1 |
Touches | 124 |
Accurate passes | 88/98 (90%) |
Crosses attempted | 10 |
Clearances | 2 |
Interceptions | 1 |
Tackles | 2 |
Total duels won | 5/9 |
Stats by Sofascore | |
Away from that game-clinching assist, Cochrane was always looking for the ball to create more openings, with a ridiculous 124 touches of the ball amassed over the full 90 minutes, leading to 88 accurate passes and ten crosses being tallied up.
The 24-year-old was also rock solid throughout at the back to ensure his side were only breached once in the contest by Jack Marriott’s early opener, by winning five duels along the way on top of completing two tackles and two clearances.
Cochrane would be rewarded for his stellar display against Parkinson’s visitors with an 8/10 post-match rating by Birmingham Live journalist Alex Dicken, who coined the phrase “bend it like Cochrane” for his breathtaking assist that Beckham would have even been in awe of watching on from the stands.
The Blues now find themselves level with their Welsh opponents at the top of the league on points, but with a game in hand, it won’t be long you feel until Davies’ entertaining side reaches the top of the third-tier summit.
