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Birmingham City player ratings vs Exeter City as two players stand out in 2-0 win
Birmingham City won for the first time in four League One games by professionally negotiating what could have been a difficult encounter at St James Park.
Exeter's home record combined with Blues' recent lapse in form and difficult conditions threatened to make this another lower league banana-skin. However, a goal in each half from Tomoki Iwata and a Jay Stansfield penalty ensured it was skilfully sidestepped.
In the end it what was is becoming a typical Blues game, lots of possession, a few chances and three points - without ever administering the hammering their quality suggests they should.
Chris Davies made two changes with Ben Davies and Alfie May returning to the starting XI and Luke Harris and Ethan Laird dropping out. That brought the intriguing prospect of Krystian Bielik playing right back and also saw May restored to his preferred No. 9 striking berth.
The product was a more balanced and productive first half display that saw Iwata score from outside the box once more and Alex Cochrane provide some real quality deliveries from the left. Willum Willumsson had a couple of headed chances that really should have produced an all important second goal.
The first arrived after 11 minutes when Bielik picked out Keshi Anderson on the right and the winger bundled into the box, a half clearance reached Iwata on the edge – and as he always seems to do he fired the ball low and unerringly into the corner.
A couple of minutes later Cochrane cross picked out an unmarked Willumsson in the middle of the area but he glanced his free header wide. Just before the half hour Paik Seung-ho found Willumsson who was even closer in this time – but once again he nodded past the post.
The second half had a similar pattern to the first with Blues controlling the ball but not really creating anything noteworthy, indeed their delivery was probably a notch down on what it had been in the first half.
Indeed an incident-free half hour passed before Blues started to threaten. Even then it wasn't until seven minutes before the end when Ilmari Niskanen was adjudged to have handled a cross. Stansfield stepped up and hammered the ball home. A muted celebration followed.
Allsop 7
Had virtually nothing to do in the first half. Punched away a corner or two, that was pretty much it. The second half was almost as quiet, one weak Magennis header and long range drive were all he had to deal with.
Bielik 6.5
Deployed at right back and applied himself well. An early slide tackle on the dangerous Vincent Harper was a good start. He picked up a needless booking after the restart but overall did well out of position.
Klarer 7
Very strong first 45, keeping Magennis quiet and playing his part in a back four that repelled set-pieces. An important covering tackle as the game broke up towards the end.
Davies 7
Won his headers and knocked back whatever was thrown at him. The only uncomfortable moment in the opening period came when he had to take a yellow to break up a counter attack. Headed everything clear in the second half.
Cochrane 7.5
Barely anything came down his side in the first half, that meant he was free to get forward and put some good crosses into the box. A quality display.
Paik Seung-ho 7
Controlled and energetic after a down-game at Shrewsbury. Linked up well with Cochrane on the left.
Iwata 8*
A really strong display and what is becoming a trademark finish, low and hard and into the corner. Looked a cut above anything that Exeter had in midfield.
Anderson 6.5
Played his part in Iwata's goal and forced a save with a neat shot just before the break. Had a few dangerous moments and got a little goal-greedy in the closing stages.
Willumsson 6
Some really classy moments playing in tight areas but the story of his first 45 minutes were two missed headers. Played OK, good out of possession, but can do better,
Stansfield 6.5
Moved to the left and drifted in and out of the game at times. Was clinical with his penalty which came at a time when his desire to make an impression was becoming desperate. Standing ovation when he was subbed late on.
May 6.5
Back at No. 9 and seemed willing out of possession, didn't have too much service through his 75 minutes. He worked hard without the ball dropping to him in the danger area.
Substitutions
Dykes (for May, 76) N/A
Leonard (for Paik, 84) N/A
Harris (for Stansfield, 90+4) N/A
Not used : Peacock-Farrell, Laird, Gardner-Hickman, Yokoyama
Opposition
EXETER (5-3-2): Whitworth, McMillan, Sweeney, Crama, Francis, Harper (Richards 71), Woods (Doyle 72), Aitchison (Watts 87), Niskanen; Magennis, Bird (Cox 59). Not used: MacDonald, Fitzwater, McDonald.
Goals
Exeter:
Blues: Iwata (11), Stansfield (83 pen)
Referee: Alex Chilowicz
