Birmingham and Stoke have solidified their places in the Championship next season with a goalless draw which sees both sides remain in the bottom half of the table. 

  • Story of the match

Birmingham head coach John Eustace made one alteration to the team that drew against Reading on Good Friday, with Juninho Bacuna coming into the midfield to replace Alfie Chang. 

After suffering defeat last time out from a winning position at Bristol City, Stoke boss Alex Neil made two changes, replacing Phil Jagielka and Nick Powell with Morgan Fox and Dwight Gayle. 

Reda Khadra was causing early problems for the Stoke defence, twisting past his man before putting in a cross that was cleared to safety by Ben Wilmot. 

Stoke had their first shot of the game on 22 minutes, with Will Smallbone laying the ball off inside the box into the path of Ben Pearson, curling an effort just wide of John Ruddy's right post. 

Ruddy produced a fantastic save on the 30-minute mark, tipping Tyrese Campbell's delicate long-range strike round the post away for a corner. 

There was a lengthy stoppage in play as George Hall received treatment after the Blues youngster was hit in the face by a close-range clearance. 

After the stoppage, Stoke spurned a great chance to take the lead, with Campbell's fizzed cross missed by Josh Laurent, failing to connect with the ball. 

Birmingham had a good chance just before the break as Lukas Jutkiewicz latched onto a long Ruddy kick, cushioning the ball down for an onrushing Hall, tangling with teammate Tahith Chong as both players went to shoot but ultimately failed to trouble Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham. 

Chances came at a premium in the second half as Ki-Jana Hoever scuffed a volley over on 65 minutes.

Birmingham troubled the Stoke goal with their first shot on target as Krystian Bielik nodded goalwards from a Bacuna free-kick, producing a smart stop from Bonham. 

Bielik again came close, shooting into a Stoke defender after a scramble from a corner five minutes from time. 

The last chance fell to the hosts as two substitutes combined, with Scott Hogan crossing to Jobe Bellingham, who saw his effort blocked by Morgan Fox.

Both teams cancelled each other out, leading to a stalemate which most likely confirms both teams' place in the Championship next season. 

  • Player of the match

Marc Roberts (Birmingham City)

In a game decided by the defensive performance of both teams, Roberts stood out for his well-timed challenges and positional play.

The Birmingham defence has strengthened in the last two months, keeping three consecutive home clean sheets for the first time in five years, a tally John Eustace will be pleased with.