Birmingham City player ratings: Neumann and Solis shine in 2-1 win over Bristol City

Birmingham City ended their Championship season with a 2-1 victory over Bristol City at St Andrew's, with goals from Phil Neumann and Jhon Solis securing the win. Tomi Horvat scored a late consolation penalty for the visitors in the 82nd minute.

Match Summary

The victory means Blues have taken 10 points from their last 12 available, climbing to 10th in the table with 63 points. This equals their best Championship points tally since finishing fourth under Chris Hughton in 2012.

First Half Dominance

Neumann continued his resurgence with his third goal of the season, finishing superbly in the eighth minute. Demarai Gray's whipped free-kick from the right was met by Neumann, who side-footed home on the volley. Gray, energised by his first goal contribution of the calendar year, almost scored directly from a free-kick, but his powerful 25-yard strike curled around the wall and hit the outside of the post.

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Blues' pressing system was effective, orchestrated by Chris Davies from the sidelines. Wingers Carlos Vicente and Gray tracked Bristol City's full-backs to prevent dangerous diagonals, while Solis pushed up to join Jay Stansfield and August Priske in pressing the ball. This tactic paid off in the 29th minute when Solis forced Bristol City midfielder Sam Morsy into a mistake, then volleyed home from distance after spotting goalkeeper Radek Vitek out of position.

Second Half Action

After the break, Blues sought a third goal. Priske came close to his first goal in England, racing onto a clever pass from Stansfield and chipping the onrushing Vitek, only to see his effort hit the post. Bristol City substitute Emil Riis should have halved the deficit moments later but failed to connect with Tomi Horvat's cross, the ball going through his legs.

The visitors pulled one back eight minutes from time when Horvat was fouled in the box by Stansfield. Horvat converted the penalty, sending James Beadle the wrong way. Davies responded by substituting Alex Cochrane for Stansfield to secure the result. Despite a few dangerous Bristol City set pieces, Blues held on for another home win.

Player Ratings

Starting XI

James Beadle 6: Made one commanding claim but caused some anxiety with the ball at his feet. Sent the wrong way by Horvat's penalty.

Bright Osayi-Samuel 7: Showed pace when blitzing past his marker before being substituted. Solid defensively, which is his primary role.

Phil Neumann 8: Produced a fantastic finish for the opening goal and delivered another uncompromising defensive display.

Christoph Klarer 7: Typically solid, stepping into midfield when Blues pressed to ensure no spare man. Relished the man-to-man engagement.

Kai Wagner 7: Looked at home in the Championship. Not his most eye-catching performance but well positioned and solid.

Jhon Solis 7: Superb press and finish for his first Blues goal. Unusually sloppy in possession otherwise. Replaced by Iwata to a standing ovation.

Paik Seung-ho 7: A coming together with Jason Knight seemed to ignite him in the second half. Showed good touches and moved forward late on.

Carlos Vicente 7: Improved on Wednesday's showing, doing a job on Pring before the Bristol City left-back was substituted at half-time.

Jay Stansfield 7: Full of energy in the number 10 role. Created a big chance for Priske with a slide-rule pass. A tad rash to concede the penalty.

Demarai Gray 7.5: His first start since Easter Monday yielded an assist within eight minutes. Almost scored with a well-struck free-kick. Generally tidy in possession.

August Priske 6.5: Robbed of a first Blues goal by the post after a well-executed finish. The chance bodes well for his development.