Birmingham City manager Chris Davies called on his players to learn from the game and grow after the League One champions suffered heartbreak at Wembley against Peterborough United in the Vertu Trophy Final.

The Blues came into the game as huge favourites after storming to promotion and the league title, with their travelling support also outnumbering that of their opponents.

It's what happens on the pitch that matters, though, and two first-half stunners from Harley Mills and Hector Kyprianou saw Posh retain the Trophy.

"It wasn’t to be our day. Congratulations to Peterborough for their victory," Davies declared. "They scored two unbelievable goals from outside the box that give us a mountain to climb. I think they were high moments of quality from their point of view, ones that we didn’t have."

"We just couldn’t find the gaps in their defence, and we sadly fell short. It wasn't until the very end where we started to create moments, and we were better."

Davies firmly believes that his side were the better of the two overall, but for two incredible goals from outside of the box.

"I think over the course of the game, we were the better team in the sense that they hit two worldies from outside of the box but didn’t really do anything else," he added.

"Perhaps the experience of the last year gave them some belief that they could do it.

"Suffering is part of life, it’s part of football, you have to grow from the pain that you’re in and we will. You can’t expect to just turn up and win all the time. But I do not doubt that the players were there wholeheartedly.

"They couldn’t have done anymore in terms of their attitude, they gave it their all. We have to learn the lessons from this game and grow from it."

While they have already won the League One title, they are still on course for a record points tally, something that gives them focus between now and the end of the campaign.

"We’ve still got six games to go, there is within that going to be a day which I will savour where we are going to lift the trophy," Davies admitted.

“What we need is performances that we can be proud of between now and the end of the season."