JUST IN: Exeter City Named League One Champions With Their Outstanding Performances And Corporations

Exeter City were beaten convincingly by the ‘League One champions to be’ as Jay Stansfield capped his emotional return to St James Park with a goal as Birmingham City eased to victory. The Blues cruised to a 2-0 win as they showed their class in a game they never looked like not winning.

Birmingham’s early dominance was made to count with just 11 minutes gone. Tomoki Iwata lashed home a beautiful finish from the edge of the box to break the deadlock. Willum Willumsson missed two golden chances to extend the lead in a first half the Blues were in control of.

City were marginally better after the break but never laid a glove on the Blues, who sealed the points in the latter stages. Ilmari Niskanen gave away a penalty for a handball, Stansfield, against his former club and where he grew up, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it two.

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell praised the quality of Chris Davies’ big-spending outfit and admitted that they fully deserved the win. But once again was left frustrated with officials after claiming there was a handball and an offside in the build up to the opener which was missed, while the second goal was never a penalty.

He said: “I said it before the game and I am even more convinced now that Birmingham will win the league. They have so much quality, strength, speed, power and not just on the park, but on the bench and probably left back in Birmingham as well!”

“It was always going to be a difficult night, but I thought the players gave everything. We were in the game for a long period, but I would like us to be better in certain moments and that for me is what we have to focus on – the performance level and what we have to do to be a better team.”

“We won’t play teams like Birmingham every week, but that is the benchmark for this level now and we have to keep working hard to improve and try and close that gap. Out of possession we contained them but you see the quality all over the pitch.

“I said before they’d win the league and I am even more convinced after seeing them live, they are going to win the league and by a long way in my opinion. We have lots of lessons to learn, they are a Championship team in the making and potentially even more than that.