Birmingham City Advances to FA Cup Fourth Round Despite Late Scare
Birmingham City secured their place in the FA Cup fourth round, overcoming a late challenge from Cambridge United during a misty Saturday evening at the Abbey Stadium.
The Blues led 3-0 with just ten minutes remaining, thanks to first-half goals from January signing Kai Wagner, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Marvin Ducksch.
However, two late goals from Sullay Kaikai of Cambridge set up a thrilling, albeit nerve-wracking, finish for the visitors.
Despite being 14th in the Championship and 40 places above their League Two opponents, Birmingham appeared to have the match under control. Cambridge, who are vying for promotion and an immediate return to League One, made sure the finale was not straightforward.
The underdogs started confidently and nearly took the lead when Mamadou Jobe set up Ben Knight near the penalty area, but Knight’s attempt sailed over the crossbar.
Birmingham capitalized on this missed opportunity, taking the lead just after the half-hour mark. Ducksch selflessly assisted Kyogo, who failed to score, but Wagner, making only his second appearance for the Blues, pounced on the rebound to score.
The visitors doubled their advantage just before halftime, with Kyogo stealing the ball from Zeno Ibsen Rossi and finishing with precision.
Kyogo had a chance to increase his tally shortly after the break, but his clever lob hit the post, leaving the goalkeeper Jake Eastwood beaten.
Instead of faltering, Cambridge rallied and nearly pulled one back when James Brophy’s misfired attempt fell to Knight, whose powerful shot went wide.
Although the hosts fought hard, Birmingham regained control when Ducksch capitalized on a defensive error, assisted by Tommy Doyle.
As the match neared its conclusion, Birmingham's defense faltered, allowing Louis Appere to create an opportunity for Kaikai, who scored to make it 3-1.
Kaikai then netted his second goal just a minute before full time, following a free-kick that was nodded down by Jobe. Nevertheless, Birmingham held on during stoppage time to secure their progression.
Post-Match Reactions
Cambridge United manager Neil Harris commented:
“I’m really proud of the players. It was a strong performance. When we were 3-0 down, I was thinking, ‘How are we 3-0 down?’ They were ruthless with their few chances, but we played well. We got back to 3-2 with two excellent goals from Sullay and had a thrilling finish. We just couldn’t find that chance in injury time to equalize.”
“Some individual performances were outstanding, particularly from Mamadou Jobe and George Hoddle. Sullay really impacted the game for us. It was a strong showing and demonstrated why we’ve been unbeaten in 14 games, successfully challenging a robust Championship side.”
Birmingham City manager Chris Davies added:
“I told the players that today was about building on our previous win and maintaining that momentum. We achieved that, and we’re taking that winning feeling back to Birmingham. The conditions were tough, and while we got into a great position, the last ten minutes were unnecessarily stressful—that’s the FA Cup for you.”
“We’ve had many games this season where we deserved more than we got, but today we earned our victory, and we’re through to the next round.”