Birmingham City moved into the top half, for now at least, after a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough at St. Andrew's last night.

The win was Blues' fifth of the season but it was undoubtedly the sweetest for Pep Clotet as his side produced an almost complete performance against an admittedly poor Boro.

Despite boasting a decent points return going into the game, the pressure was starting to build on the Spaniard and you could understand why.

A run of three successive defeats had seen the team fall down the table and performances on the whole had been very unconvincing, with most fans acknowledging Blues had more points than their displays warranted.

Clotet had vowed to bring a new, attractive style of play to the west Midlands outfit but there had been little sign of that happening - until last night.

The decision to play 16-year-old Jude Bellingham in a central midfield role was an undoubtedly risky one, particularly with two strikers in the team and Danny Crowley and Fran Villalba, two creative wide men, also on the pitch.

However, it was a bold approach that paid off spectacularly.

The fearless teenager was instrumental to everything Blues did well, forming an instant understanding alongside the classy Ivan Sunjic.

For once, Clotet's men played on the front foot. They were dominant in possession and playing with pace, purpose and intensity. It required two outstanding Darren Randolph saves in the first ten minutes to keep the scores level.

However, the ex-Blues stopper couldn't keep his old club out for much longer. More intricate play down the right-flank saw Villalba move centrally to finish off a flowing move to make it 1-0.

That was in the 33rd minute and pleasingly for the home support, the side didn't stop there. Whilst they went in only one goal to the good, the reality is they should have been at least three up.

In fairness to Boro, who had been abysmal for two-thirds of the game, they slowly grew into it and looked as though they were going to nick a point when Daniel Ayala equalised late on.

Yet, this new-look Blues side responded, with youngster Odin Bailey sealing the points with a header.

That was exactly what Clotet and the hosts deserved and the overall performance would have left the fans leaving St. Andrew's with a buzz and excitement for the first time in a while.

The support aren't demanding a side that win promotion, they just want one that plays with intent and passion.

With Bellingham and Sunjic pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Maxime Colin and Crowley wreaking havoc down the right-flank and Villalba linking up well with hardworking duo Lukas Jutkiewicz and Alvaro Gimenez, Blues finally clicked last night.

Now, it's about building on that after the international break and Clotet needs to continue to be adventurous with this team to see how far they can go.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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