Scotland stalwart ends 161 day wait as ex-Rangers trio help club edge towards dream domestic double
Scotland international Grant Hanley ended a 161 day wait for a start as he helped new side Birmingham City go one step closer to a memorable domestic double last night.
The 33-year-old departed Norwich City after eight years at Carrow Road in order to sign for the EFL League One league leaders last month, and was handed a first start for his new club as they narrowly defeated Stevenage 1-0 in the quarter final of the EFL Trophy via a 83rd minute Jay Stansfield goal.
His first start for a club since August 27, the experienced defender amassed a total of 69 minutes for the Blues, and performed well, making an excellent recovery challenge to help out defensive partner Christoph Klarer, who had been beaten by Jake Young in the first-half.
Fellow new recruit Kieran Dowell was also handed his second Birmingham start following the midfielder’s arrival on loan from Rangers last week, with ormer teammate Scott Wright was also handed a rare starting berth at the Lamex Stadium. Scotland international Lyndon Dykes was a late substitute.
However, it was former Rangers and Hearts youth player Marc Leonard that proved to be pivotal to Birmingham’s match winner, with a brilliant pass to assist Stansfield’s winner, leaving head coach Chris Davies to single out the Scottish midfielder for special praise.
“The first thing is to see it, then decide to do it, and then second is to be able to execute it technically,” said the Birmingham manager. “He saw the gap at the right time, the weight of pass had to be perfect, the spin of the ball on his pass. It was a quality goal.” The Midlands outfit are now into the semi final of the EFL Trophy competition and just two games away from a Wembley showcase, and are four points clear at the top of EFL League One as they edge closer to their dream of a domestic double.
