Midlands | Birmingham come from behind to earn a point at Wrexham

Wrexham 1 - 1 Birmingham City

Birmingham City came from behind to earn a point at Wrexham, halting their run of three consecutive away defeats.

Author | Peter Grainger

Stadium | STōK Cae Ras

The fixture, dubbed the ‘Hollywood derby’ thanks to the high-profile ownership of Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Tom Brady, unfolded without its celebrity backers in the stands as Storm Amy swept through north Wales.

It was Reynolds and McElhenney’s Wrexham who struck first, George Dobson scoring his first league goal at the Racecourse Ground early in the contest.

Patrick Roberts replied shortly after the interval with his first goal for the away side, setting up the possibility of a dramatic finish worthy of the cameras that follow both clubs.

In the end the story closed without a decisive twist, the two newly promoted sides settling for a point apiece.

Both sides look capable of holding their own in this division 

View from the stands

Birmingham reached half-time with two-thirds of the possession, yet their expected goals figure of 0.33 was eclipsed by Wrexham’s 1.61.

Tony Davies’ side were in need of inspiration in the final third but, despite the industry of Kieran Gray, they rarely troubled Arthur Okonkwo.

Having faced serious defensive issues earlier in the campaign, Wrexham displayed a resilience and organisation that will have pleased Phil Parkinson. They also posed a constant threat on the break, with O’Brien and Kabore particularly effective in transition.

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The conditions turned in Birmingham’s favour after the interval, and they improved accordingly. Roberts’ goal ensured they departed north Wales with a point.

For all their contrasting approaches, both teams showed enough to suggest they can compete at this level, despite arriving from League One only a few months ago.

Ambition is in no short supply, and with the Championship lacking an obvious front-runner for promotion, the division appears more open than in recent years. Supporters of both clubs may need to be patient, but the evidence so far suggests their sides are more than capable of holding their own.