Birmingham City 2-2 Wolves: West Midlands derby ends in draw after thrilling contest

Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers battled to a breathless 2-2 draw in the Championship at St Andrew’s.

Wolves twice took the lead through Fer Lopez and Ladislav Krejci, but Jay Stansfield and a Jackson Tchatchoua own goal ensured the West Midlands derby was level at half-time.

City missed two chances after the break before Wolves’ Adam Armstrong should have won it for the visitors, while both sides hit the bar.

Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto was left frustrated by the absence of VAR after Stansfield’s equaliser, with replays suggesting the Birmingham striker may have controlled the ball with his arm before firing into the roof of the net.

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Important

Peixoto said: “I don’t blame the referees because they don’t always see, but VAR is very important to be more fair in the game.

“We don’t have VAR in the Championship but I think it’s very important to help referees make the best decisions.

“I saw a handball and on the screen I saw handball, but the referee didn’t whistle and that’s it.”

Wolves right-back Tchatchoua’s own goal will live long in the memory after he hooked past goalkeeper Jose Sa to make it 2-2.

But Peixoto, who confirmed the arrival of free agent winger Bertrand Traore, defended the Cameroon international, saying: “I don’t want these kind of mistakes, but Jackson didn’t do it on purpose.

“We have to stay together to help him improve because he has done a great job in the last few games.

“Today he made a mistake but his team-mates helped him and fought for him and the dressing room stayed with him.

“I will never put the blame on one player. It can happen – in the same way Adam Armstrong missed in the box.”

Match action

Wolves made a perfect start by taking a third-minute lead from a flowing move.

Lopez tapped home Rodrigo Gomes’ cross after Lopez fed Raul Jimenez and the Mexican found Gomes on the overlap.

It was the Spaniard’s fifth goal of the season in all competitions and third in the Championship.

In an exciting first half, Paik Seung-ho’s deflected shot was palmed away by Jose Sa at the other end, then Wolves had a penalty appeal turned down.

Bright Osayi-Samuel appeared to take down Jimenez as both went for the ball but referee Adam Herczeg waved play on.

Birmingham gifted Wolves a golden chance in the 18th minute as Christoph Klarer’s awful first touch let in Jimenez, who fed Gomes to his right for a shot parried away by James Beadle, with Klarer clearing near the line.

Stansfield then thundered home the equaliser in the 22nd minute.

After Patrick Roberts’ chip dropped over Andre, Stansfield controlled the ball before rifling home on the half volley, despite Wolves’ unsuccessful appeal that he had controlled the ball with his arm.

Missed chance

The visitors regained the lead in the 31st minute with Krejci steaming in to head home after Andre flicked on Hugo Bueno’s corner at the near post.

Wolves then presented Birmingham with a second equaliser in the 36th minute.

From Phil Neumann’s hopeful long ball, Tchatchoua hooked it backwards past Sa, who desperately chased back but could not prevent the ball bouncing into the net.

Jimenez rattled the top of the bar with a 30-yard curling free kick as Wolves looked for more goals but Blues looked the more likely scorers for most of the second half.

Neumann’s header flicked off Tchatchoua onto the bar, then Klarer flashed a free header just wide.

In between, the hosts appealed in vain for a penalty when Andre challenged August Priske.

Wolves missed the chance to win it in the 87th minute when Armstrong ballooned over the bar from Lopez’s square pass with Beadle committed.

Then Blues substitute Martin Ducksch’s free-kick forced a diving save from Sa.

Unnecessary

Birmingham manager Chris Davies disagreed with Peixoto over the handball controversy.

He said: “I thought it was Jay’s side that controlled the ball. I’m not a fan of VAR, but it’s for offsides and goal-line technology.”

West Bromwich Albion striker Aune Heggebo was suspended for two matches for “deceiving a match official” after handling when scoring against Norwich City last month, but Davies insists no retrospective action should be considered against Stansfield.

“No, I don’t think so,” he added. “I think this is a really different situation. I don’t know if it is handball. That would be unnecessary.

“The game’s the game and, if anything, we should have won it.

“I said to the players, I will always be content with that spirit. I will be astonished if Wolves aren’t in the top four with their quality.”

Blues had owner Tom Wagner back in the directors’ box for the first time since he had a stroke in February.

Davies said: “He has been through an awful lot but his recovery is progressing well and it was a case of us taking a lot from him being here today.”

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