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Birmingham City 2-0 Reading

Birmingham 2-0 Reading
© PA Photos
Birmingham beat Reading 2-0 on the last day of the Championship in a game that saw three penalties.

Birmingham City have beaten the Championship champions Reading 2-0 on the last day of the season in a match that saw three penalties.

The hosts took the lead after 25 minutes when Adam Rooney, who had come on as a substitute for the injured Zigic, fired a first-time shot past Adam Federici having been found by Nathan Redmond.

Redmond then came close himself, firing a shot from outside the box just over the crossbar as the hosts continued to look dangerous.

The champions had chances of their own towards the end of their half, with one effort from Adam Le Fondre having to be hacked off the line by Pablo Ibanez.

Le Fondre then raced through once again and dinked the ball over Colin Doyle in the City goal, only for Ibanez to once more save his side with another clearance off the line.

Ibanez was almost the hero at the other end just minutes later when he met an Andros Townsend free kick only to see his header come back off the post.

The visitors almost levelled the sides midway through the second half when Doyle spilt Joby McAnuff's cross, but Simon Church was denied by a last-gasp block from Davies.

The Royals were then awarded a penalty when Alex Pearce was bundled over in the area, but Ian Harte saw his spot-kick saved by Doyle.

Birmingham got a penalty of their own later in the half when Townsend's cross hit the arm of Jay Tabb. Wade Elliott stepped up and sent Federici the wrong way to double Birmingham's lead.

Then, in the dying moments, the hosts were awarded a second penalty to make it 3-0. Once again Elliott took the responsibility, but this time Federici guessed the right way and denied the Birmingham man.

The result doesn't change Reading's status as champions, but does mean that Birmingham move up to fourth in the table, although they will still play Blackpool in the playoffs.

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