West Brom lose second game of the season after losing Semi Ajayi to injury

Semi Ajayi's West Bromwich Albion struggled at home in the absence of the Nigeria international as Scott Hogan’s hat-trick fired Birmingham City to a 3-2 win in their ninth Championship game of the season.

Steve Bruce was forced to leave out the 28-year-old centre-back - sidelined for six to eight weeks - from his matchday squad following an injury he picked up in West Brom's clash against Wigan. 

Goals from Jed Wallace and Thomas Brandon were not enough as three goals from Hogan in both halves meant that Birmingham City took the West Midlands Derby bragging rights with their first victory at The Hawthorns since 2005. 

Birmingham City were the better side in the opening exchanges, and they took a deserved lead when Juninho Bacuna threaded the eye of a needle to play Hogan in, and the striker rolled the ball past Button to stun the Hawthorns and give the visitors the lead.

The hosts had been well off the pace, but going behind certainly sprung them into life as Wallace came close to equalising when his effort at the far post was pushed behind by John Ruddy. 

Wallace has been one of the Baggies’ stand-out performers so far this season, so it came as no surprise when he was involved again shortly after to draw Albion level after running on to Jason Molumby’s through ball and slotting between the legs of Ruddy for his third goal of the season.

With the game very much in the balance as the second half resumed, the pendulum swung back towards Blues nine minutes after the restart when Hogan finished off a fine counter-attack to restore Birmingham City’s lead. 

The striker ensured it was an evening to remember when he broke into the area and nutmegged Button with his shot at the near post to make it 3-1 with less than 20 minutes remaining.

Steve Bruce’s side halved the deficit inside the final 10 minutes with Brandon Thomas-Asante’s penalty, but it wasn’t enough as Birmingham held on to record back–to-back wins for the first time this calendar year to jump eight places to 14th, as the Baggies drop to 20th having not won in their last four outings.