Birmingham City defeated QPR in the Championship on Wednesday night thanks to a goal from Patrick Roberts
21:51, 11 Mar 2026Updated 21:55, 11 Mar 2026
Birmingham City midfielder Patrick Roberts in action against QPR
Patrick Roberts handed Birmingham City a much-needed 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers to end their poor run of form.
Blues extended QPR’s losing run and halted their own at three matches on a night where they were worth more than one goal.
The pace and trickery of recalled winger Ibrahim Osman gave QPR the jitters from the get-go and the opening goal was crafted by the Ghanaian down Blues’ left in the sixth minute.
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Osman left QPR right-back Amadou Mbengue in his wake and cut the ball back for Roberts to sweep home his fourth goal of the season – and his second against QPR this term.
Blues thought they should have had a penalty inside 10 minutes when Paik Seung-ho shimmied beyond Ronnie Edwards only for the QPR man’s hand to stop the ball in its tracks.
Chris Davies and his players were incensed but referee Anthony Backhouse waved for play to continue.
Osman’s deflected shot forced QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh into action and Marvin Ducksch looped a header goalwards from the resulting corner that was cleared off the goal-line by Richard Kone.
Ethan Laird – who was making his first start since late September – almost scored his first goal since last April. The auxiliary left-back climbed above everyone inside the penalty area to head Roberts’ corner against the post.
The only criticism of Blues’ first half performance was that their dominance wasn’t reflected in the scoreline.
Birmingham City midfielder Patrick Roberts (right) celebrates his goal against QPR
The one way traffic continued in the second half as Stansfield continued to find room in behind the left side of QPR’s defence. Another cut-back found Ducksch but his first-time finish bobbled wide of the goal.
Without the second goal, QPR were always going to grow in confidence and they improved as the half wore on.
Kwame Poku, who might have been wearing Royal Blue had transfer negotiations gone differently last summer, caused the hosts a few issues after coming on as a substitute.
Poku flashed a ball across from his left-wing position that needed to be dealt with by Jack Robinson inside his own six-yard box.
Another cross, this time from Harvey Vale on the opposite flank, reached Kone in the closing stages but he couldn’t generate the power on the stretch to seriously worry James Beadle.
Poku had Beadle scrambling at the death when he lashed a left-footed strike goalwards but the ball brushed the side-netting.
Demarai Gray tried to settle Blues’ nerves in stoppage time but Edwards rushed back to produce a perfectly timed challenge when it looked for all the world as though the net would bulge.
Nevertheless, Blues held on for a win that moved them up to 10th in the Championship table and to within five points of the play-offs.
The top-six is still a long shot, but Davies and his players will be targeting a run of wins that could see them rejoin that conversation at a later date.
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James Beadle 6
Beadle will be thankful for the quiet night and the clean sheet. There was some tension inside the stadium when Beadle looked to play out but this was a positive evening’s work for the young goalkeeper.
Tomoki Iwata 7
Iwata didn’t have mounds of work to do defensively until Poku came on and enjoyed the freedom of St Andrew’s in the first half. He tested Walsh with one low shot after being teed up by Ducksch.
Christoph Klarer 7
Another defensive partner for Klarer, but the Blues captain was solid and composed. He defended his box well and was the dominant force aerially.
Jack Robinson 8
Robinson won the battle with Kone to justify his selection and made a big block at the end. The experienced defender made a vital clearance in the second half and is now in line to start against his former club Sheffield United on Saturday.
Birmingham City defender Jack Robinson challenges QPR forward Richard Kone
Ethan Laird 7.5
A solid showing from Laird on his first start in six months. He was primarily asked to stay back and form a back three in possession with Klarer and Robinson, but on the occasions he got forward he caused QPR problems. Unlucky with one header that struck the post.
Jhon Solis 7
Solis was back to something like his best in possession after a couple of off days away from home. He put his foot in when he needed to and dovetailed nicely with Paik.
Paik Seung-ho 8
Just edged out by Roberts in the Man of the Match stakes after a classy performance in midfield. Paik seemed to be everywhere in the middle and knitted Blues’ attacks together.
Patrick Roberts 8*
Roberts produced a tidy finish to open the scoring on his return to the starting XI and strengthened his case to start home games when Blues are likely to dominate the ball. The winger was very tidy in possession to post 92 percent pass completion.
Marvin Ducksch 6.5
Ducksch was a very useful one-touch foil for his attacking colleagues in their dominant first half display. His touch wasn’t always perfect and he dragged a couple of shots wide after being found by Stansfield.
Harvey Vale of QPR and Marvin Ducksch of Birmingham City
Ibrahim Osman 7
Osman tortured Mbengue in the opening 15 minutes and set up Roberts’ opener. We saw the other side of Osman, with the odd slip here and there to concede possession, but you get excited when he picks the ball up.
Jay Stansfield 7.5
We got work-rate and that little bit of something extra that St Andrew’s loves to see from Stansfield. He found joy down the right side and created chances for his teammates that could have been taken.
SUBS
Jonathan Panzo (for Laird, 64) 6
Filled in at left-back to see the game out and fared well against QPR dangerman Vale.
Demarai Gray (for Osman, 64) 7
A really lively cameo from Gray to respond the right way to losing his place in the line-up. He has given Davies something to think about for Saturday.
Kanya Fujimoto (for Ducksch, 75) 6
Rare minutes for Fujimoto who was a willing runner and had a few touches in the closing stages.
Carlos Vicente (for Roberts, 75) 5.5
Gave the ball away carelessly on one occasion and couldn’t kill the game when found by Gray in a great position.
Kyogo Furuhashi (for Stansfield, 90) N/A
Not used: Allsop, Neumann, Osayi-Samuel, Guernier
How did you rate the Blues players? Tell us in the comments…