![\"Bristol](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_Bristol-Rovers-v-Birmingham-Sky-Bet-League-One-Memorial-Stadium.jpg\")
Bristol Rovers manager Inigo Calderon reacts on the touchline during the Sky Bet League One match at the Memorial Stadium, Bristol(Image: PA)<\/p>\nBirmingham City moved to within eight points of promotion – but they were made to work for their win at Bristol RoversBristol Rovers manager Inigo Calderon reacts on the touchline during the Sky Bet League One match at the Memorial Stadium, Bristol(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
Inigo Calderon believes struggling Bristol Rovers stopped Birmingham City <\/a>from looking like the runaway League One leaders they are.<\/p>\n Blues secured a 2-1 victory at the Memorial Stadium<\/a> to move 14 points clear of third-placed Wycombe as both the Chairboys and Wrexham dropped points on a big night for the champions elect.<\/p>\n However, they needed a late Jay Stansfield penalty <\/a>and a fair portion of luck to pull it off as Rovers, who are now only three points above the relegation zone, responded to Keshi Anderson\u2019s early opener to equalise through Gatlin O\u2019Donkor and go on to twice hit the woodwork and miss several very good chances to take the lead.<\/p>\n In they end they were undone five minutes from time leaving their head coach crestfallen: \u201cFootball is not fair when you are down there, but that is the reality,\u201d Calderon said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we have to feel sorry or say unlucky. I think we have to accept that, and I accept that. I think when you\u2019re down there, the luck is not with you at all, and you have to do things better. I think we did 85 minutes really good.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we started the game not too good, and we showed too much respect to them. After, I think we changed, and we were much, much better. We were on the front foot, and we were much better for 85 minutes.<\/p>\n “I don\u2019t think you could see that they were the top team in the division. It\u2019s true again that the penalty, I don\u2019t know, came from a lack of concentration.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething happened in there, and it was a mistake, and that\u2019s the reality. You cannot have mistakes when you are down there because they are going to punish you. Especially good teams. But it\u2019s true that for 85 minutes, the team was really good.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we conceded that early again, it was like, \u2018wow boys, that\u2019s not what we wanted\u2019. Especially after coming from last weekend. I think credit to the boys.<\/p>\n \u201cThey showed a reaction because it\u2019s not easy after conceding that early again against a top team. I think it\u2019s going to be a long night, but I think they reacted really well. Really, really good.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was not easy at all, and that\u2019s why it probably hurts even more because with everything we did, conceding the penalty is cruel and brutal. But that\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n \u201cEven the referees. When it\u2019s a 50-50, and you are down there, it\u2019s going to be for the other ones. That\u2019s it. You cannot even complain. We have to accept it like that, and we have to do better and better and again.<\/p>\n \u201cI said to the boys we have to go again and tomorrow again and again and again and again. It\u2019s the only thing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Do you agree with Calderon\u2019s assessment? Have your say here<\/a> Chris Davies’s runaway League One leaders face Peterborough United on Sunday, April 13 in the final of the Vertu Trophy, looking to clinch the first past of a double after a season of incredible success.<\/p>\n Buy now<\/a> and have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents in Birmingham<\/a> from April 2, 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Birmingham City moved to within eight points of promotion – but they were made to work for their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1853,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1205,1206,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-1852","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-birmingham-city-fc","9":"tag-jay-stansfield","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114272171606915877","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_BIRMINGHAM-CITY-FINAL-PREVIEW.jpg\")
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