Birmingham City 2 Wolves 2: Lively derby date produces goals

It had been nearly eight-and-a-half years since Wolves and Birmingham City had previously locked horns. It’s neither club’s biggest derby, but it’s always been a lively one, particularly given how often they spent together in the Championship.

And it was certainly worth the wait.

Twice Wolves led in a dramatic first half, through Fer Lopez after just three minutes and Ladislav Krejci after 31, but twice Blues hit back, via Jay Stansfield midway through and a calamitous Jackson Tchatchoua own goal on 36.

But eventually, with Wolves much the better side in the first half, momentum very much switched in the hosts’ favour in the second leaving a point a decent return to take back up the M6.

Boss Cesar Peixoto made two changes to the Wolves team beaten at West Ham, with Ladislav Krejci coming in for his first start of the season, and Adam Armstrong handed a recall.

Toti and Mateus Mane dropped to the bench, with Sam Neave and Ghislain Konan also named among the substitutes following their deadline day arrivals.

With Toti stepping down, Raul Jimenez was handed the captain’s armband.

Wolves got off to the perfect start inside just three minutes. Lopez was involved at the start of a move to find Jimenez who played in Rodrigo Gomes down the right. Lopez had then made ground to meet the low right wing cross and put Wolves in front.

Blues tried to mount an immediate response and Jose Sa was forced into one save following a scramble but it was Wolves who went close to extending their lead, Lopez’s long range effort clawed away by James Beadle before the keeper denied Gomes after he had been put through by Jimenez.

That chance was to prove vital as within four minutes, midway through the half, Stansfield latched on to a Patrick Roberts pass to chest the ball down and fire the half volley into the top corner.

That lifted the home team and the home crowd, but Wolves settled, Adam Armstrong denied a chance of his customary goal against Blues by Bright Osayi-Samuel’s back post clearance.

And just after the half-hour-mark the visitors regained the lead from an excellently worked corner, Andre flicking on Hugo Bueno’s delivery for Krejci to mark his first league action of the season by powerfully heading home.

Wolves had wrestled back the initiative and silenced the crowd only to press the self-destruct button nine minutes before half-time.

There seemed little danger as Tchatchoua aimed to shepherd the ball back to his goalkeeper but he put too much pace on it, and Sa was well advanced, meaning the backpass went past the despairing gloveman and finished up in the back of the net.

To their credit, Wolves rallied again and went close to regaining the lead prior to the end of a frenetic first half when Jimenez’s long-range shot struck the crossbar.

The second period never had any chance of living up to the pace and chaos of the first. And for the most part, it was the hosts who were far more dangerous.

A header from August Priske bounced off Tchatchoua before having a strong appeal for penalty turned down when challenged from behind by Andre.

And with a stream of dangerous corners adding to Blues’ significant set piece threat, from a free-kick Christoph Klarer directed a free header narrowly wide of the target.

Roberts then shanked his first time effort wide before Stansfield warmed Sa’s hands with another powerful shot from distance. Tomoki Iwata’s shot on the turn was also comfortably dealt with by Sa and substitute Demarai Gray’s cross across goal was cleared as the hosts continued to dominate.

Yet, amid all that, there was still that feeling, with Wolves’ attacking firepower, that they would have one more chance.

When it came, it was a golden one. Lopez squared it to Armstrong in acres of space inside the penalty area, but the man who usually scores at will against Blues, blazed it over the bar.

Blues then broke and had a two-on-one at the other end but Neumann’s pass across goal ended up behind substitute Luis Vazquez and Wolves were able to clear.

As the game drifted into added time, Blues won a free-kick just outside the box.

Substitute Marvin Ducksch stepped up, but Sa made the save, ensuring the game finished as a very lively draw.

Wolves again looked impressive in attack, with Lopez pulling the strings, and are now the Championship’s top scorers.

But there is only one other team in the division which has conceded more, which will surely be a matter of concern for Peixoto.

In the meantime, until that is sorted out, it looks like being one hell of a ride!

Blues (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik; Roberts (Vicente 81), Stansfield (Ducksch 81), Millar (Gray 69, Laird 91); Priske (Vazquez 81). Subs not used: Allsop, Fry, Lund, Fujimoto.

Wolves (4-1-2-3): Sa; Tchatchoua, Krejci, Djiga, H. Bueno; Andre (Traore 86); Lopez, Munetsi (Jordan 65); Gomes (Mane 67), Jimenez (Doyle 75), Armstrong (Neave 86). Subs not used: Virginia, Chirewa, Toti, Konan.

Referee: Adam Herczeg

Attendance: 27, 503.