Barnsley nine points adrift after bruising Birmingham loss

In the first half, the Reds produced a battling performance befitting the tempestuous conditions, with sleet and swirling winds relegating the better football to small moments - but the second half saw Gerhard Struber's side wane badly.

An early chance for the Reds saw Conor Chaplin pick up on a ball played down the line by Clarke Oduor and fire a cross to Jacob Brown, but the forward couldn’t reach it.

The side’s first real chance came on the 15-minute mark, Cauley Woodrow getting a sight of goal but sending his side-footed effort wide of the near post from Brown’s lay-off 25 yards out on the right.

The visitors then tried their luck through Jude Bellingham, who was impressive on the right. He stole the ball from Oduor and drove at goal, his shot blocked.

Ivan Sunjic attempted a shot following the resulting corner, but his effort was blocked and saw the Reds counter.Brown sprang up the left side of the pitch and found Williams on the opposite flank, whose low strike was saved by Lee Camp at his near post.

Jake Clarke-Salter then headed over from a Bellingham free kick after the midfielder was caught by Oduor’s high boot – the full-back was subsequently hauled off for Kilian Ludewig, with Williams swapping to the left.

In the 30^th minute Callum Styles went close with a fine left-footed drive, forcing Camp into a one-handed save as he tipped the ball over the bar.

Five minutes later the Blues ‘keeper misjudged a clearance, which Brown plucked out of the air with a superb touch. The forward danced past three defenders before seeing his low right-footed strike from the edge of the box saved by Camp.

The ‘keeper clutched the ball gratefully to his chest as Chaplin rushed in for the rebound.Scott Hogan then went close for the visitors, collecting a ball lobbed over the back four and sprinting towards Collins’ goal.

The stopper did well to get his feet in the way and Ludewig cleared.Conor Chaplin went close a minute from the break, finishing a well-worked move with a swerving drive that narrowly avoided the far post from the right after receiving the ball from Styles.

The second half started slowly, the first chance falling to Elliot Simoes who flashed his effort well over the bar after picking the ball up from Woodrow in the 50^th minute.

If it started slowly, the intensity remained at fairly tepid levels throughout.

That would turn out to be the home side’s only effort of the second half, apart from a Woodrow shot that sailed over the bar as Brown, who laid the striker off, was offside.In the 65^th minute Bellingham advanced through the midfield and took aim, but his off-balance effort was wide of the mark.

It was Bellingham that was responsible for setting up Scott Hogan for the visitors’ goal in the 76^th minute, setting off on a dribbling run and playing it inside for the forward.

Hogan, with his back to goal, found the far corner with his left-footed strike.