Match Report: Birmingham City shocked by last minute equaliser in Midlands Clash

Birmingham City aimed to light up St Andrews Stadium on Saturday afternoon in their League One fixture against newly promoted Northampton Town. After a strong start to the season, with only one loss in twelve games, the Blues were looking to add another win to their tally. Before the match started, Birmingham sat in second place, trailing on goal difference to first place Wycombe Wanderers; and therefore, a win would have been crucial in their title seeking campaign.

A win would have been crucial in their title seeking campaign

The Cobblers sat in 18th place, narrowly above the relegation zone, and therefore a win would have been equally important to them. Both teams were affected by injuries, with Birmingham losing wingers Hansson and Wright, and left back Buchanan who has been out of action for the last three months. Whilst Northampton were missing Mbete, Brough, and Koiki from their defensive line, as well as Morton from their attack. This is only the fourth time in league history that the two midlands sides have met, with their last meeting in 1990 ending in a 2-2 draw.

Impressively, tickets for this fixture sold out weeks before kick-off, and captain Krystian Bielik emphasised the team’s appreciation for the continued support and feisty atmosphere in his column in the matchday programme. The away stand was also sold out, with the Northampton fans bringing the noise to counter the Birmingham roar. Despite their shock FA Cup exit after a derby day loss to 7th tier Kettering exactly a week before this match, the fans remained in high spirits and continued to cheer Northampton on. This fixture observed Remembrance Day, and therefore there was a display from the Navy at the start of the match, which did not entirely go to plan as the sprinklers were left on, soaking the Navy cadets walking out onto the pitch.

Right from kick off the Blues dominated possession and caused many problems for a struggling Northampton side. Five minutes in their first attempt was blocked by the Northampton defence. However, Birmingham kept the pressure on, putting cross after cross into the box, but no one could convert any into goals. A sign of the dangers the away side might pose came in the 18th minute when Allsop was forced into making a save after Northampton’s Guthrie snuck through the Birmingham defence to be one on one with the keeper. The rest of the half passed by rather uneventfully, and the Blues’ players trudged off the field looking a far cry from the team that started this game so confidently.

Right from kick off the Blues dominated possession and caused many problems for a struggling Northampton side

The second half started with a bang, with Jay Stansfield taking a shot into the side netting within a minute of the restart. From this point onwards, it felt like an entirely new team had emerged from the Birmingham changing room at half time. Another two attempts followed, the second of which led to a succession of corners. One of these corners led to the goal, with Jay Stansfield converting a pass from Willumsson. A once struggling Birmingham City displayed a new wave of confidence, yet were profligate with their chances. They narrowly missed out on a second goal when Harris hit the bar in the 88th minute. The Blues ended the match with 25 shots on goal, but only 3 of these were on target.

The Blues ended the match with 25 shots on goal, but only 3 of these were on target

At the other end, Northampton had one strong chance with Hondermarck’s shot blocked just in front of the goal in the 76th minute, however Birmingham ensured the ball was cleared and danger averted. In the most part, the Blues continued to dominate the second half, taking a total of seven corners before the final whistle, but similarly to the first half, they began to falter towards the end. Northampton again began breaking at the Birmingham defence. In the 88th minute defender Bielik went down with an injury, clarified by manager Chris Davies during the press conference as an issue with cramp. 7 minutes of additional time was added on at the end of the second half; and in the last minute of extra time, Northampton’s Mitch Pinnock took a powerful shot into the bottom right-hand corner, beating Allsop and bringing home a point for the travelling fans.

During the post-match conference, Chris Davies emphasised the disappointment the team were feeling at the end of the second half, and said to them it felt like they had lost the match. When asked about the goal they conceded, he said it was the “poorest goal we’ve conceded this season”, and they should have finished Northampton off well before the equaliser was scored. He then stated that he wanted to move on and focus on working through what will be a tough winter period for Birmingham, but reiterated that the club was in a strong position heading into the international break, and he had full confidence in his squad’s ability.

Ethan Laird then reiterated the manager’s points, and stated firmly that everyone on the team would be working hard to ensure that a repeat of the match does not happen. He also emphasised that the team have complete faith in their manager, who has so far this season been doing an impressive job. Northampton failed to show up for their post-match press conference, however it is easy to imagine how they must have been feeling after stealing the victory from Birmingham City.

Whilst Birmingham left with their heads in their hands, Northampton fans left cheering and chanting. Birmingham remain in 2nd place, but now two points behind Wycombe, and Northampton move up to 17th, 5 points clear of the relegation zone. Both teams have a lot to take away and learn from this fixture, and it will be interesting to see how this result affects Birmingham’s title challenge and Northampton’s attempts to avoid relegation.