Birmingham held by Stoke as Iwata header cancelled out | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Birmingham City drew 1-1 with Stoke City at St Andrew's. Tomoki Iwata opened the scoring with a close-range header in the 42nd minute after a corner was kept alive. Stoke levelled when Phil Neumann put through his own net (71.). The visitors had more of the ball at 55.3% but produced only one shot on target as Birmingham carried the greater threat. Birmingham visit Oxford United next in the Championship, while Stoke host Southampton.

Player of the Match: Tomoki Iwata shaped the game with a smart headed opener and a well-rounded display, adding three key passes and three tackles to his goal.

Stat of the Match: Birmingham registered 18 attempts, underlining the hosts' greater punch despite being reeled in by an own goal.

Three Things We Learned: Birmingham's set pieces remain a weapon, with the opener arriving from a corner and 21 crosses delivered at 38.1% accuracy. Stoke's control did not translate into chances, finishing with 55.3% possession but only one shot on target from seven attempts. The result nudges the table only slightly, with Birmingham staying 13th and Stoke dropping from ninth to 10th.