Birmingham City secured a 3-0 victory over Solihull Moors in their second pre-season friendly, with Demarai Gray scoring a stunning solo goal. The win, which saw Blues retain the Arthur Cup, came amidst other football headlines but provided several key talking points for Chris Davies' side.
Second-Half Improvement Continues
For the second consecutive pre-season game, Birmingham City showed a marked improvement after the interval. The introduction of Carlos Vicente, Jhon Solis, and Demarai Gray at half-time added quality and tempo, with all three demonstrating individual brilliance against lower-level opponents.
Manager Chris Davies noted: "I think it was a decent all round night for us. I thought we had periods in both halves where we were quite good, and periods in both halves where we weren't as good with little mistakes here and there. We had a double session on Monday, a hard session on Tuesday and I said to the players, 'That's your third day in a row, it's a really good week for you so far.' There were some good bits and good goals, we got what we wanted which was 45 minutes and no injuries."
Demarai Gray Impresses as Auxiliary Centre-Forward
With Jay Stansfield, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Marvin Ducksch absent, Gray operated as an auxiliary centre-forward and caught the eye. The number 10 drifted to the left, finding space behind Solihull's defence before cutting inside to create chances. He flashed a shot wide and set up Vicente for a missed opportunity before scoring a fine solo goal late on.
Davies commented: "He's played there before, we know he can do it, he's a winger that likes to roll in off the side, but tonight I had to find a striker from somewhere so he was the obvious option and he did it well." Gray's performance suggests he could be a valuable option through the middle during the Championship season when needs must.
Scott Fry's Set Piece Influence
New set piece coach Scott Fry patrolled the technical area during set pieces, allowing Davies to take a watching brief. Fry's attention to detail was evident, particularly in defensive routines. Blues thought they had scored early from a Lee Buchanan free-kick headed by August Priske, but it was ruled offside.
Variation was key, as a quick one-two between corner taker Alex Cochrane and Gray created a crossing angle that led to Matty Carson's own goal early in the second half. This small win for Fry should help build trust with players as his methods begin to show rewards.
Youngsters Given Credit
The gap between Birmingham's under-21s and first team has narrowed this summer. Right-back Riquelme Thompson-Jones impressed in Portugal, while 19-year-old Briar Bateman showed progression against Solihull. Bateman was dynamic on both sides and won the penalty that Priske converted in the first half.
Academy technical director Mike Rigg watched from the stands, and Davies' willingness to include teenagers in pre-season aids the club's quest to bring elite talent to Birmingham. Davies said: "There are a lot of them that are having chances to show what they can do and they're learning. They're not going to be players that we consider for the first team this season, but they're players that can train with us and keep developing their game with a view to challenging."
