Birmingham City showed their quality to run Premier League side Newcastle United close in a gripping FA Cup tie at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Saturday evening.

Joe Willock’s second goal of the night, which arrived in the 82nd minute, proved to be decisive for Newcastle after an end-to-end first half that ended all square. Willock and Callum Wilson initially cancelled out Ethan Laird’s first minute strike before Tomoki Iwata took the roof off the net and St Andrew’s with a belter.

Blues couldn’t summon up the strength to equalise again after Willock fired one underneath Bailey Peacock-Farrell late on. Here are our talking points post-Newcastle…

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A glimpse at what Davies-ball could look like

If ever there was an advert for Davies-ball, this was it. Blues went toe-to-toe with one of the Premier League’s most in-form teams and they did so playing with verve, style and quality in possession.

They didn’t have their usual lion’s share of the ball, with Newcastle unwilling to give up the ball to lower league opposition, but Blues used it purposefully and progressively. And they picked their moments intelligently to press Newcastle.

It was enlightening to see how Blues can play against a side that comes to St Andrew’s and wants to win, which isn’t something we’ve seen often in League One matches in B9. This was hopefully a taster of the entertainment we’re in store for when Blues return to the Championship and are no longer the shark in a goldfish bowl.

Blues’ big guns showed their quality

It is sometimes difficult to judge Blues’ big guns against League One opposition when, at times this season, it has felt like they’ve been going through the motions and churning out victories without getting beyond second gear. Newcastle was the test the likes of Christoph Klarer, Laird, Iwata and Jay Stansfield had been waiting for.

And all four of the aforementioned players, as well as a few others, demonstrated they have the ability to compete with Premier League aces. You could have dropped Klarer, or Ben Davies for that matter, into Newcastle’s line-up and you wouldn’t have noticed the difference.

Stansfield, who commanded a Premier League fee when he dropped down to League One in the summer, was buoyed by the occasion. We saw the best of Blues’ record signing against Newcastle.

TGH has signed, now for the other one

Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s permanent transfer was the deadline day surprise Blues fans needed. While there isn’t an option for Blues to do the same with Ben Davies, the club must do everything they can to make his loan move from Rangers permanent.

Remarkably, Blues have only conceded 12 goals with Davies on the field this season and the 29-year-old has now played 26 matches. He was a contender for Man of the Match in the Newcastle match with a series of superb blocks, tackles and a goal-line clearance to keep Blues’ hopes alive in stoppage time.

Blues need to avoid an upset of their own now

After such a pulsating cup tie, which was alive right until the death, it will be hard to lift it for a run-of-the-mill League One fixture against Cambridge United on Tuesday. The return of Garry Monk adds some spice, but the game won’t live up to what we witnessed on Saturday.

Having gone so close to causing an upset in the cup, Blues need to make sure they aren’t shocked by Cambridge. There can be no let up in League One now.