Goals:

1-0: Ritchie pen (10, stroked the spot-kick down the middle and into the net after Gouffran was brought down by the keeper)

2-0: Gouffran (35, controlled Shelvey’s free-kick with back to goal then flicked up and applied lovely finish on the turn)

2-1: Cotterill (71, dinked an effort over Sels after being picked out by Kieftenbeld’s nod down)

3-1: Ritchie (90, on hand to turn in another brilliant assist from Shelvey)

Bookings: Shotton (34, dissent); Tiote (69, foul)

Referee: Lee Probert (Swindon) – correctly kept Legzdins on the pitch after conceding the opening penalty and blew at the right times after that. 7

Attendance: 34, 896

Entertainment: ***

Newc Birm

Shots on 4 1

Shots off 9 11

Corners 6 5

Offsides 2 2

Fouls 10 5

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-3-2-1):

6 Sels: Hard to remember him having much to do, certainly didn’t have many meaningful shots to deal with;

6 Yedlin: Straight-forward night down the right and was certainly helped by the probing Ritchie got through

6 Hanley: Will have harder nights in a Newcastle shirt and probably already has

6 Findlay: Can be satisfied with his first team debut after showing composure on the ball

6 Lazaar: Made the runs to help the younger man in front of him and defended well too;

8 SHELVEY: Ran the show from start to finish and a welcome return for Benitez

6 Tiote: Seemed to enjoy himself even if he was still well short of the standards he has set in the past

6 Barlaser: The locally produced talent made plenty of good runs and was confident on the ball;

8 Ritchie: Scored a penalty, found the post with a brilliant effort and added a second late on while his performance was decent throughout

6 El-Mhanni: A few glimpses of his skills, looked raw but certainly has potential if he can make the right decisions;

8 Gouffran: Won the penalty, hit the post and then scored himself with a lovely finish.

Subs:

Perez (for Ben El-Mahanni 70): Solid enough run out ahead of the league return on Saturday. 6

Hayden (for Yedlin 75)

Colback (for Tiote 82)

(not used): Elliot (gk), Dummett, Lascelles, Murphy.

BIRMINGHAM CITY (4-3-2-1): Legzdins 6; Dacres-Cogley 6, Shotton 6, Robinson 5, Grounds 4; Kieftenbeld 5 (Fabbrini 80), Davis 5 (Brown 64, 5), Tesche 4; Adams 6, COTTERILL 7; Solomon-Otabor 4 (Jutkiewicz 64, 7). Subs (not used): Kuszczak (gk), Gleeson, Morrison.

MAN OF THE MATCH

JONJO Shelvey – played as if he had never been away to remind everyone why he is so important for Newcastle this season.