Peterborough 1-2 Birmingham City: Player ratings and Chris Davies reaction to promotion

Good evening

That's all from us tonight. Thanks so much for your attention this evening. It might not have been the best game but it was a memorable occasion.

Blues are back in the Championship with six games to spare.

Now, on to Wembley. See you on Sunday.

Chris Davies reacts to promotion

Restoring Birmingham City to the Championship ‘means the world’, says Chris Davies after his Blues side clinched promotion with six games of the League One season to spare.

Blues defeated Peterborough United 2-1 on Tuesday night to seal their place in next season’s Championship.

Davies and his players celebrated long after the final whistle with a 4,000-strong away end at the Weston Homes Stadium.

“It’s a special night,” reflected Davies. “It means the world. To see the fans celebrate really is something special.

“I’ve said previously that the club has suffered a lot, especially in the last few years, and it’s about creating memories, bringing them some joy, and making them proud of their club. I think we’ve done that this season.”

Read the full article HERE

Player ratings

Birmingham City clinched promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt with a 2-1 win over Peterborough United on Tuesday night.

Alfie May and Taylor Gardner-Hickman scored the goals at the Weston Homes Stadium, either side of a Kwame Poku leveller, to send Blues up with six games to spare.

Chris Davies and his players celebrated long after the final whistle with almost 4,000 supporters in Peterborough.

Check out the player ratings HERE

Celebrations

Brilliant scenes here tonight.

As soon as the final whistle went Blues players and staff charged en masse to the away end and the fist pumps are still going on.

Davies got his moment, as did Juke and Stansfield.

May rushed over to the Champagne and started spraying it everywhere.

We're ten minutes after the end of the match and the players and supporters don't look like they're going anywhere.

'We're going to win the league' bellow the masses. And they will.

Perhaps the best song so far has been 'Bielik was right, this league is ******' (something that rhymes with right.

It's all over! Blues are going up!

It's over! Birmingham City are promoted back to the Championship!

A 2-1 win at Peterborough, sealed by goals from Alfie May and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, sends Blues up at the first attempt.

Now for the double at Wembley on Sunday.

Added time

Four minutes from the Championship

'It's a long, long road....' coming from the away fans. Not much further to go.

Defensive change

That's Harris' last contribution. Grant Hanley is on in his place. Three minutes plus stoppage time to go.

So close

Blues built up down the right and worked a shooting position for Harris, unfortunately he lashed wide from near the penalty spot. That would have lit the celebratory touchpaper. Six minuntes to wait.

Good save

Important too, Blues have started leaking corners and this one to the back post from Harley Mills picked out Hughes. He met his header on the the run and Allsop had to throw himself to this left to push aside.

This is getting just a little uncomfortable.

Elsewhere

Wycombe are 1-0 up at Huddersfield. If Blues want to seal it tonight they need to keep Peterborough out.

Temperature rising

There's quite a combative atmosphere in here now. The game is opening up and if feels like a goal might be imminent, either for Blues who are pushed right on, or for the hosts who look lively on the break.

Jay Stansfield is on

League One's top scorer Jay Stansfield is on for Alfie May. Stansfield will be looking to add to his 18 goals in the league.

May has done his job tonight. That's four in his last four now.

Wycombe have the lead at Huddersfield

Daniel Udoh has given Wycombe the lead in the 63rd minute at Huddersfield.

That doesn't change anything as things stand, because Blues are doing their bit and winning here in Peterborough. If things stay the same, Blues will be promoted tonight.

Three Blues changes

Three Blues changes: Laird, Paik and Anderson are on for Sampsted, Leonard and TGH.

Blues' XI has just got a bit stronger. There are 29 minutes to play before stoppages.

The second half begins

Alfie May has kicked the second half off at rthe Weston Homes Stadium.

Both teams are fielding the same personnel at the start of the second half. Blues are 45 minutes away from the Championship.

HT: Peterborough 1-2 Blues

Blues have a narrow lead after a breathless first half - May and TGH with the goals.

Blues have had control but Peterborough's front four have made them dangerous.

In the other important game in League One tonight, Huddersfield and Wycombe are all square at 0-0. As things stand, Blues are going up.

Peterborough are still a threat

Just when you thought Blues had control, Peterborough's livewire front four show why the visitors cannot rest on their laurels.

Harley Mills fired a pass in between Klarer and Sampsted for Mothersille to chase and he beat Allsop to it but couldn't round the goalkeeper to score.

Blues are back in front

Taylor Gardner-Hickman puts Blues back in front!

Lovely flowing move and Leonard picked out TGH on the left and he smashed it through Bilokapic.

Chris Davies responds by screaming in the direction of Allsop and Klarer - no idea what that's about. Blues lead again!

Open game

There's a tonne of goals in this for Blues in this game if they can retain their accuracy, pick and deliver the right passes.

TGH is a constant threat on the left, Iwata and Leonard seem to have a grasp on midfield, all of which have combined the create openings for May.

Peterborough are helping too, when they play out they are landing themselves in trouble.

However, when they go long or feed the flanks they do look dangerous. Blues will score again, but Posh might too.

Posh are level

Blues' lead didn't even last three minutes.

Dangerman Kwame Poku with a good finish after a Peterborough corner dropped kindly to him on the edge of the box. He lashed it back with interest via his trusty left foot.

Blues fans respond with a rendition of Keep Right On and we are off again.

Blues have the lead

Alfie May has given Blues the lead inside 19 minutes.

Gardner-Hickman whipped it in from the left and May got up to head home his 15th goal of the season in all competitions.

The scenes in the away end are wild as May wheels away at the other end. Blues are on track.

Another big chance for Blues

Krystian Bielik has become the latest Blues player to waste a good opportunity.

The ball dropped invitingly for Bielik 12 yards out from Marc Leonard's corner but the skipper whipped his shot over the bar.

Blues are having to defend

We mentioned the quality of Peterborough's forward line and they are causing Blues the odd problem early on.

A wide free-kick dropped to Odoh in the box but Leonard did very well to get his body in front of the goal-bound shot.

May with an early chance

Alfie May should have put Blues ahead. He was through on goal but he couldn't guide the ball beyond Bilokapic.

Peterborough's frailties at the back there for all to see and Blues have found space in behind twice early on.

What an atmosphere

The Blues end to our left is full, and supporters are giving a complete rundown of the song-book, Super Chrissy Davies, We're Birmingham, we're Birmingham, Ryan Allsop is Blue and of course Keep Right On are all belting out, drowing out the questionable music on the PA.

Blues have lined up in their formation, in their white shirts and we're about to kickoff on what will hopefully be a memorable evening.

And we're underway

Step one, beat Peterborough and win promotion, is underway at the Weston Homes Stadium. Blues can get promoted without a victory tonight, but they will want to go up on a high.

Blues are in their white away strip, which is slightly strange as they will wear black and red at Wembley on Sunday.

Don't forget the supplement

We have produced a 40-page supplement to mark Blues' first trip to Wembley in 14 years.

It includes exclusive interviews with some of the main protagonists, from Chris Davies to Jay Stansfield, and interviews with the men behind Blues' previous two EFL Trophy wins.

You can buy it onlinehere or in all major retailers around Birmingham.

Fans are filtering in

The players are in the midst of warming up and fans are starting to flood through the turnstiles.

It's very interesting that Peterborough are virtually at full strength this evening. Darren Ferguson is clearly sending a message to his players that their places for Wembley are far from secure.

We will see how well Blues cope with Peterborough's speedy front four. Poku is the stand-out but watch out for Mothersille who has made a big impact since switching to a number 10 position.

Blues, on the other hand, have used this opportunity to rest key players. All of those who have dropped out of the XI will undoubtedly start at Wembley on Sunday.

Peterborough team news

Peterborough have been boosted by the early return from injury of captain Sam Hughes and Darren Ferguson has named a full strength attack.

Kwame Poku, Abraham Odoh, Malik Mothersille and Ricky-Jade Jones are all playing.

(4-2-3-1): Bilokapic; Johnston, Fernandez, Hughes, Mills; Susoho, Collins; Poku, Mothersille, Odoh; Jones

Subs: Blackmore, De Havilland, Hayes, Lindgren, Kyprianou, Katongo, Dornelly

Blues team news: Bielik one of six changes

Chris Davies has made six changes to his starting line-up Blues’ first match with Peterborough United this week.

Blues skipper Krystian Bielik, Alfons Sampsted, Marc Leonard, Luke Harris, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Alfie May all start at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Davies has rested his namesake Ben Davies, Ethan Laird, Paik Seung-ho, Kieran Dowell, Keshi Anderson and Jay Stansfield.

Ben Davies and the score of Blues’ sixth goal on Saturday versus Barnsley, Lukas Jutkiewicz, have travelled to Peterborough but they aren’t included in the 18-man squad.

(4-2-3-1): Allsop; Sampsted, Klarer, Bielik, Cochrane; Iwata, Leonard; Willumsson, Harris, Gardner-Hickman; May

Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Laird, Hanley, Paik, Dowell, Anderson, Stansfield