Demarai Gray celebratesGetty Images

Demarai Gray scored his fourth goal of the season

Harry De Cosemo
BBC Sport England

Demarai Gray's wonderful individual effort helped Birmingham City climb to within a point of the Championship play-offs with victory over Watford.

Paik Seung-ho opened the scoring from outside the box before Gray's classy effort found the top corner to put Birmingham fully in control at the break.

Othmane Maamma pulled one back for Watford but the home side, seeking successive promotions after last season's League One title triumph, held on.

The Hornets remain 15th in the table, four points behind Chris Davies' side, who move up to seventh.

Watford started with purpose and went close inside a minute through Tom Ince, who found space on the edge of the area and fired wide. Birmingham responded when Tommy Doyle's corner whistled past the far post moments later, evading Paik.

The frenetic start to the game continued when Marc Bola's low cross flashed across the Blues goal before Christoph Klarer cleared while Maamma also spurned a couple of decent openings as Watford looked to impose themselves.

Hornets keeper Nathan Baxter kept the scores level at the other end when he denied Phil Neumann from point-blank range after a quick free-kick led to a Jay Stansfield cross. Baxter then held on to a Doyle shot from distance.

Birmingham took a hold of the match soon after, though.

First, Paik won the ball high before driving forward and firing into the bottom corner on the half-hour mark.

Then, Gray cut inside and unleashed a wonderful strike three minutes before half-time.

Watford full-back Bola forced James Beadle into a good save early in the second half after he was found at the left-hand corner of the box by Imran Louza.

However, Marvin Ducksch should have put Birmingham out of sight moments later, but somehow missed from six yards out.

Watford were rewarded for a strong response just past the hour when Maamma swept home Bola's cross to halve the deficit.

They upped the pressure at the end but Birmingham held on to secure a fourth straight home win.

'A really big win' - Davies

Birmingham manager Chris Davies, speaking to BBC Radio WM:

"It's a really big win. Watford are a really strong team with really strong, fast, good-level players.

"In the first half, we were by far the better team and got two good goals. If we could have got that third, it looks different. They scored, so we had to dig in and show character.

"Othmane Maamma is really quick, dangerous and clever and makes good runs without the ball. Bright Osayi-Samuel has hardly played at all for six weeks, so he's come in and done the job for the team.

"I'd have absolutely taken seventh, no doubt about it. To go and beat Watford is not something I take for granted for a second."

'We are paying for our mistakes' - Gracia

Watford manager Javi Gracia speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio:

"We knew before coming that today would be a tough game. In my opinion, it was equal. In the first half, they dominated more than us but we both had good chances.

"We didn't take the chances we had, they did with two great goals. After that, in the second half we played better and had more chances, playing in the opposition half. When you dominate, you have to score and we didn't do it.

"The other team is a good team, there is nothing to say. In terms of chances and possession, it was equal but we are paying for our mistakes.

"We have good players and we are going to insist on our work; I trust my players. We need to be more clinical."

Player of the match

J. Stansfield
7.66
28 J. Stansfield
7.66
10 D. Gray
7.57
8 Paik Seung-Ho
7.40
7 T. Doyle
7.35
4 C. Klarer
7.19
5 P. Neumann
7.02
25 J. Beadle
6.95
14 K. Anderson
6.92
16 P. Roberts
6.89
23 A. Sampsted
6.69
20 A. Cochrane
6.69
12 M. Leonard
6.49
30 L. Koumas
6.48
17 L. Dykes
6.46
26 B. Osayi-Samuel
6.44
33 M. Ducksch
6.29
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