West Brom 1-1 Birmingham City: FLW report as points shared in West Midlands battle | OneFootball

FLW report live from The Hawthorns for this West Midlands clash

West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns on Wednesday night.

After letting a 2-0 lead slip against Coventry City on Saturday, Ryan Mason's side started the brighter and were rewarded through Alex Mowatt's first goal of the season after 12 minutes.

However, in an end-to-end West Midlands clash, Marvin Ducksch continued his current hot streak for Chris Davies' side with a smart header that flew into the bottom corner with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Birmingham City

It was Albion who created the first chance of the game inside the first minute. The normally influential Mikey Johnston was able to drive forward at will and pick out Isaac Price, who sent a warning sign just over James Beadle's net.

The England Under-21 international was then on full alert to deny Callum Styles after he was found in space before cutting infield and firing a fizzing effort which Beadle palmed away.

The hosts would be rewarded for their positive start on 12 minutes. George Campbell's long-throw was only cleared as far as Mowatt, with the captain's fizzing strike deflecting off Phil Neumann and into the bottom corner.

It could have been two from the very next attack, as Heggebo took aim on the turn, with Christoph Klarer bravely averting the danger for Blues.

Their first sign of a response came through an inswinging Alex Cochrane free-kick that evaded all inside the box and dipped just wide of the post, before Seung-ho Paik misfired from a tight angle after 24 minutes.

Josh Griffiths' first save of the night came soon after, although Marvin Ducksch was unable to make it three goals in two through a tame header.

Demarai Gray was, once again, at the forefront of any attacks from Davies' men, but George Campbell denied the Jamaican from causing any issues with a smart block on the half-hour mark.

Six minutes before the interval, Johnston was once again able to drift towards goal unchallenged, with the Irishman firing over the bar from 20 yards.

Gray then forced Griffiths into a smart save with a curling strike after taking on the aforementioned Campbell once more, in what was the last meaningful action of the first period.

Heggebo looked to put daylight between the two sides and register his fourth goal in three games five minutes into the second-half, with his glancing header falling into Beadle's grasp. Karlan Grant then went close with a drive that left the Blues keeper wrong-footed, although a Neumann deflection, this time, fell the right side of the net from the visitors' perspective.

Despite continuing to see more of the ball, it was more of the same frustrations for Birmingham as Gray saw another effort snuffed out by the Baggies' watertight defence on the hour-mark after being picked out by Tomoki Iwata.

Blues saw strong appeals for a penalty dismissed by Thomas Kirk three minutes later, with the visitors and their travelling support claiming handball against Chris Mepham after Klarer flicked a header towards Ducksch.

Davies' men's woes continued in the following passages of play as a teasing Stansfield cross fell short of Roberts, before the latter was unable to prod home an Iwata through ball inside the 18-yard box.

Albion then passed up a golden chance to make it two on the break midway through the half. An inch-perfect Heggebo interception set Grant free down the left, with the forward unable to pick out the onrushing Johnston with his low cross.

Price found himself in a similar situation moments later, with the playmaker's curling effort lacking the accuracy in order to bend it past Beadle into the top corner.

With 16 minutes remaining, Heggebo was denied another goalscoring opportunity through Klarer's smart last-ditch intervention, before a second handball appeal from Blues was waved away as Johnston denied Roberts a chance to make inroads from the right side.

However, Mason's side would live to rue those spurned chances as Ducksch's purple patch continued as he glanced home Doyle's pinpoint set-piece delivery past the outstretched Griffiths.

Iwata then glanced a header of his own past the post, with the visitors seemingly in the ascendancy as the game entered its final stretch.

Johnston then dragged another effort wide of the mark after a smart turn away from Cochrane to work the initial opening, whilst at the other end, substitute Kyogo Furuhashi came inches away from opening his Championship account for Birmingham after Roberts' lung-busting run.

Griffiths then kept the scores level ahead of five minutes of stoppage time, firstly palming away a curling Stansfield strike before standing firm against Iwata's cross-goal effort from a tight angle.

Mowatt then saw his name up in lights with a speculative strike which had plenty of the stadium holding their breath until it sailed wide of Beadle's post for the last chance of the game.

A point apiece sees West Brom stay 17th, whilst Birmingham have returned to ninth place on goal difference.

Player Ratings

West Bromwich Albion

Josh Griffiths - 7

George Campbell - 7.5

Nat Phillips - 7.5

Chris Mepham - 7

Callum Styles - 7

Toby Collyer - 6 (Diakite 11" - 7) (Bielik 79" - 6)

Alex Mowatt - 7.5

Karlan Grant - 6.5 (Iling-Junior 79" - 6)

Isaac Price - 6.5

Mikey Johnston - 7

Aune Heggebo - 6.5 (Maja 84" - 6)

Unused Subs: Joe Wildsmith, Charlie Taylor, Alfie Gilchrist, Tammer Bany, Daryl Dike

Birmingham City

James Beadle - 6.5

Tomoki Iwata - 6.5

Phil Neumann - 6.5

Christoph Klarer - 7

Alex Cochrane - 6.5

Tommy Doyle - 8

Seung-ho Paik - 6.5

Patrick Roberts - 7

Jay Stansfield - 6 (Leonard 93" - N/A)

Demarai Gray - 7.5 (Anderson 83" - 6)

Marvin Ducksch - 7.5 (Kyogo 83" - 6)

Unused Subs: Ryan Allsop, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Jack Robinson, Eiran Cashin, Lewis Koumas, Lyndon Dykes

Ryan Mason reacts as West Brom held by Birmingham City

Reacting to the draw post-match, when asked about feeling visibly frustrated, Mason began: "We were 1-0 up in a game we want to win, created the opportunities to win the game and we don't. That's why I was frustrated.

"I thought the players put so much effort in. They're working so hard, fighting for each other and showing so much quality at times, but we're not doing enough to get over the line at the moment," he explained.

"It's something we need to try and improve and help the players as much as possible, because it's close. We're there in so many games this season and coming out on the wrong end of results when we feel we've had situations to create some distance between us and the opposition.

"We weren't able to do that tonight and we got punished for it," the Baggies boss stated.

When asked if there was anything specifically he could do to change his side's fortunes, Mason said: "I think we can help the players.

"The situations we had in the second-half, I think we had a 3v1 in half the pitch and a 2v1. We need to try and help the players become more clinical in those moments," he added.

"They're really big opportunities and it's not very often in football you get those situations. When you do, you normally come out with a shot on target or goal.

"That's something we need to help the players with as much as possible, because they're in the game and we're creating those situations.

"Disappointed, really frustrated, the boys gave everything tonight and we're desperate for it to change."

Chris Davies' thoughts as Birmingham City earn draw at The Hawthorns

After seeing his side salvage a point late on, Davies' press conference began: "From our point of view, it's a point gained.

"We weren't at our best in the first half, definitely. We couldn't quite find our rhythm and were too slow with everything, not as precise.

"It's going to be tough away from home. It's a local derby, they're never that fluid," he explained. "I didn't think it was a half of many chances.

"We conceded a really sloppy goal from a set-piece which puts us right on the back foot and gives us a bit of a mountain to climb.

"I thought we could only get better," Davies stated. "I was very confident we would get better. I said to the players that we will grow into the game, we would find our rhythm, and when we do it, we have to capitalise on it, but we had to do things quicker and do what we're good at more often and we'll get our rewards.

"I thought we did find that rhythm in the second half. There were a few breakaways we conceded which aren't normal for us.

"But, apart from that, I thought it was us in the ascendancy and we were pushing.

"Obviously, I'm pleased we got the set-piece goal," he added. "There were a few moments after that that could've gone for us.

"But, I think being a goal down away from home, local derby, not being quite at your best, to come away with a point, I think you have to say is a good point."