Match ends, Birmingham City 4, Bristol City 2.
BirminghamBirmingham City4Bristol CityBristol City2
Clayton Donaldson scored a first-half hat-trick as Birmingham City defeated Bristol City to climb up to fourth.
Donaldson stabbed into an empty net for the opener before converting Jon Toral's pass from close range for 2-0.
Jonathan Kodjia got the final touch on Joe Bryan's square pass to pull one back for Bristol City, before a penalty completed Donaldson's treble.
Kodjia volleyed home his second but it was merely a consolation as Jonathan Grounds' header sealed the points.
Bristol City have now slipped to 21st in the Championship, only a point above the relegation zone.
Donaldson scored his first goal inside 10 minutes, stabbing into an unguarded net after being found by David Cotterill.
| Clayton Donaldson claims another matchball |
|---|
| Donaldson's 31-minute treble was the sixth hat-trick of his 170-goal career and his second for Blues. He has also earned the matchball playing for York City, Hibernian and Crewe (twice, in the space of a month in 2011). |
And he was on hand to score his second converting a low pass first time when unmarked from close range with Bristol City claiming offside.
Bristol City had a lifeline when Kodjia finished from close range before Marlon Pack struck the outside of the post with a curling free-kick.
But Blues earned a penalty when Jon-Miquel Toral was brought down by Baker and Donaldson made no mistake from the spot to restore his side's two-goal lead.
Pack then came close to pulling a goal back for the visitors but his strike from the edge of the box curled just wide of the Birmingham goal.
Bristol City were eventually back in the game with Kodjia's second of the match - a hooked volley from 10 yards after good work by Aden Flint.
However, Grounds' header from Cotterill's corner ensured there was no nervy finish at St Andrew's.
Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett told BBC WM:
"I was really pleased with the performance, particularly for the first 60 minutes. After that we allowed the game to become a little too open. I think this was due to Bristol City's formation and the way they tried to attack.
"We took a little bit of gamble with our tactics by playing our wingers higher up the pitch. We felt this could give their wing-backs a problems and we got a little reward for it.
"Where I felt we could have done better was their two goals as we were a little open. I've made my point in the post-match talk."
Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill:
"We created enough chances to have won. We definitely feel hard done by with the penalty. It was a big moment in the game for us just after we had hit the post.
"It was never a penalty. It was actually a booking. The referee must have been the only person in the ground who thought it was a penalty.
"I'm frustrated because I feel we conceded soft goals. We created enough chances but we've got to take them."
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 29Kuszczak
- 31Caddis
- 28Morrison
- 23Spector
- 3Grounds
- 8Gleeson
- 6Kieftenbeld
- 11CotterillBooked at 57mins
- 20ToralBooked at 65minsSubstituted forMaghomaat 69'minutes
- 7GraySubstituted forDavisat 81'minutes
- 9Donaldson
Substitutes
- 1Legzdins
- 4Robinson
- 17Solomon-Otabor
- 19Maghoma
- 22Shinnie
- 26Davis
- 44Brock-Madsen
Bristol City
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Fielding
- 16MooreBooked at 59minsSubstituted forRobinsonat 63'minutes
- 4FlintBooked at 84mins
- 17Baker
- 5Ayling
- 7SmithBooked at 86mins
- 21PackSubstituted forWilliamsat 64'minutes
- 15Freeman
- 23BryanSubstituted forReidat 76'minutes
- 18Wilbraham
- 22Kodjia
Substitutes
- 2Little
- 3Williams
- 8Robinson
- 10Agard
- 11Wagstaff
- 14Reid
- 19Hamer
- Referee:
- Mark Brown
- Attendance:
- 18,819
Match Stats
Home TeamBirminghamAway TeamBristol City
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away2
- Corners
- Home6
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away17
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 4, Bristol City 2.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Davis.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Callum Robinson (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Freeman.
Post update
Luke Freeman (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City).
Post update
Attempt missed. Derrick Williams (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Aaron Wilbraham with a headed pass.
Post update
Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Michael Morrison (Birmingham City).
Post update
Attempt missed. Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Post update
Attempt saved. Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stephen Gleeson.
Booking
Korey Smith (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Korey Smith (Bristol City).
Post update
David Davis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Korey Smith (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City).
Booking
Aden Flint (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Aden Flint (Bristol City).
Post update
Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Jonathan Spector.
