Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Birmingham City

Birmingham City's 10th-place finish in the Championship represents their best season in three campaigns

Birmingham finish the season 10th in the Championship after beating Bolton in the last match of their campaign.

Robert Tesche volleyed in the only goal after Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan had blocked the ball on the goal-line from Demarai Gray's inswinging corner.

Bolton had chances to score but Emile Heskey headed wide and Eidur Gudjohnsen had a goal ruled out for offside.

Wanderers, who end the season with only one victory from their final nine matches, finish 18th in the table.

It was a disappointing end for Neil Lennon's side, who finish only 10 points above the Championship relegation zone.

The hosts made a bright start with Gudjohnsen's powerful free-kick blocked, before Heskey shot just over the crossbar.

However, Birmingham took the lead just before half-time when Tesche finished from close range after Bolton had failed to clear the danger.

Gray had a chance to double the visitors' lead but curled an effort just off target, although Adam le Fondre could have earned Bolton a point but headed wide from six yards out.

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Lennon on Bolton v Birmingham

Bolton manager Neil Lennon: "Maybe it was symptomatic of our season - we showed a bit of promise but in the end fizzled out.

"We have a mountain of work to do in terms of where we want to take the club. We have known that all along.

"It was important to get over the line in terms of staying up. We looked okay in November and December, but the volumes of injuries after that hit us really hard."

Birmingham manager Gary Rowett: "The players have got to be given great credit for the way they moved the ball and looked a very controlled team.

"The game suited us - Bolton tried to play through us because they have good technical players in the middle of the park.

"It was about blocking up that area, breaking wide and counter-attacking. With a bit more composure and better timing in the final third, we could have scored one or two more with our breakaways."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Bolton

• 1Bogdan
• 41Threlkeld
• 37Taylor
• 5Ream
• 3Moxey
• 29BannanBooked at 15mins
• 18DannsSubstituted forWalkerat 59'minutes
• 16DaviesBooked at 45minsSubstituted forJankoat 76'minutesBooked at 82mins
• 22GudjohnsenSubstituted forFeeneyat 69'minutes
• 19Heskey
• 9Le FondreBooked at 84mins

Substitutes

• 7Feeney
• 20Costa Rocha
• 24Lonergan
• 27Twardzik
• 47Janko
• 51Coke
• 52Walker

Birmingham

• 1Randolph
• 31Caddis
• 28Morrison
• 23Spector
• 3Grounds
• 8Gleeson
• 13TescheBooked at 90mins
• 33Gray
• 36FabbriniSubstituted forDavisat 63'minutes
• 40Dyer
• 9DonaldsonSubstituted forThomasat 67'minutes

Substitutes

• 4Robinson
• 10Thomas
• 11Cotterill
• 21Doyle
• 22Shinnie
• 24Arthur
• 26Davis

Referee:

Mark Brown

Attendance:

18,614

Match Stats

Home TeamBoltonAway TeamBirmingham

Possession

Home60%

Away40%

Shots

Home15

Away14

Shots on Target

Home2

Away3

Corners

Home3

Away4

Fouls

Home9

Away7

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Birmingham City 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Birmingham City 1.

Booking

Posted at 90'+2'

Robert Tesche (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'+2'

Saidy Janko (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Robert Tesche (Birmingham City).

Posted at 90'+1'

Attempt blocked. Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer.

Posted at 90'

Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Wes Thomas (Birmingham City).

Posted at 90'

Foul by Emile Heskey (Bolton Wanderers).

Posted at 90'

Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Booking

Posted at 84'

Adam Le Fondre (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Adam Le Fondre (Bolton Wanderers).

Posted at 84'

Paul Caddis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Booking

Posted at 82'

Saidy Janko (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 82'

Foul by Saidy Janko (Bolton Wanderers).

Posted at 82'

Wes Thomas (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 80'

Offside, Birmingham City. Paul Caddis tries a through ball, but Robert Tesche is caught offside.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Emile Heskey (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Tom Walker with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 76'

Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Saidy Janko replaces Mark Davies.

Posted at 76'

Offside, Bolton Wanderers. Mark Davies tries a through ball, but Adam Le Fondre is caught offside.

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Liam Feeney (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Mark Davies.

Posted at 74'

Mark Davies (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Robert Tesche (Birmingham City).

Posted at 71'

Attempt missed. Adam Le Fondre (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Liam Feeney with a cross.

Posted at 70'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Barry Bannan.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. David Davis (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Demarai Gray.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Liam Feeney replaces Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Wes Thomas replaces Clayton Donaldson.

Posted at 65'

Attempt missed. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Robert Tesche.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Birmingham City. David Davis replaces Diego Fabbrini.

Posted at 63'

Attempt missed. Lloyd Dyer (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Stephen Gleeson.

Posted at 62'

Attempt missed. Quade Taylor (Bolton Wanderers) header from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Tom Walker with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 61'

Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Jonathan Grounds.

Posted at 59'

Foul by Mark Davies (Bolton Wanderers).

Posted at 59'

Michael Morrison (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Posted at 59'

Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Tom Walker replaces Neil Danns.

Posted at 58'

Attempt missed. Barry Bannan (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Dean Moxey with a cross.

Posted at 55'

Attempt saved. Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robert Tesche.

Posted at 53'

Eidur Gudjohnsen (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 53'

Foul by Robert Tesche (Birmingham City).

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