Demarai Gray's spectacular finish and Paik Seung-ho's first-half strike earned Birmingham City a 2-1 victory over Watford at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, moving Chris Davies' side to within a point of the Championship play-offs. Goals either side of the half-hour mark put the hosts in command before Othmane Maamma's reply set up a tense finale. Birmingham, promoted as League One champions last season, showed both attacking fluency and defensive resilience to secure a fourth successive home win and climb to seventh in the table, four points clear of the Hornets.
Watford, who arrived on a five-game unbeaten run and with recent results to justify their growing confidence, started brightly and created several promising openings but were punished for errors in possession and wasteful finishing. Javi Gracia's team rallied impressively after the interval, halving the deficit through Maamma and forcing James Beadle into further saves, yet Birmingham did just enough to protect their lead and extend the visitors' troubled run away from home.
Watford's Fast Start Meets Birmingham's Patience
The tone of an open contest was set almost immediately when Tom Ince seized on a loose ball on the edge of the area inside the opening minute and drove a low effort inches wide of Beadle's far post. Watford were content to let Birmingham have possession but sprang forward with purpose when they could, and Maamma soon forced the first save of the afternoon as Beadle had to beat away the forward's strike from distance.