MX23RW : Thursday, December 20 01:03:31
Dec 15, 2018 at 3pm UK at ​Ewood Park (Blackburn, Lancashire)
BlackburnBlackburn Rovers
2-2
BirminghamBirmingham City
Graham (19'), Armstrong (46')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Gardner (78' pen.), Adams (80')

Result: Birmingham fight back to frustrate Blackburn

Rovers were cruising at 2-0 up.

Birmingham scored twice in three minutes late on to snatch an unlikely 2-2 draw at Blackburn.

The hosts looked well on their way to a fourth victory in five home games after Danny Graham’s ninth of the season put them ahead in the first half, with Adam Armstrong making it two within seconds of the restart.

That looked to be that, but a penalty out of nowhere allowed Craig Gardner to level.

And incredibly, the Blues were level moments later as Che Adams slotted home from close range, giving them a point that their performance for the majority of the game barely merited.

Rovers are unbeaten in three outings but, in a game they controlled, the draw will feel like a defeat.

Blackburn welcomed back Darragh Lenihan in place of Paul Downing at the heart of defence, while Derrick Williams was replaced by Amari’i Bell.

Blues skipper Michael Morrison missed out through injury, so Marc Roberts deputised.

The opening exchanges were a slog, with wet conditions and injuries disrupting any hope of flow.

But Rovers went ahead in the 19th minute with their first shot when Harrison Reed floated in the perfect free-kick for Graham, who expertly directed his header beyond Lee Camp from 12 yards.

The hosts were in the ascendancy at this point and Bradley Dack had a sight of goal, but lashed wide.

Connor Mahoney was booed at every touch but the former Rover almost delivered the perfect riposte eight minutes from the break when he cut in from the right and let fly with a wonderful curling effort that went just wide.

Birmingham finished the half strongest though, with Adams denied by a timely block, before Lukas Jutkiewicz’s delicate touch set up a shooting opportunity inside the area that David Raya saved.

Rovers made them pay immediately after the restart through Armstrong, who received the ball thanks to a deft Dack touch, before firing a left-foot shot into the right corner for his fifth goal this season.

It would have been a third minutes later when Reed was played through on the right but his low drive was brilliantly tipped over by Camp.

The game seemed to be petering to a natural end but Raya gave the visitors hope by needlessly chopping down Maxime Colin in the area 12 minutes from time.

Craig Gardner hammered home the unstoppable penalty.

And the Blues completed a highly improbable comeback two minutes later when Jutkiewicz squared for the unmarked Adams to convert for his 10th of the season.

It set up a frantic finish but neither side could fashion a winner.

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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds22136336181845
2Norwich CityNorwich22135440261444
3West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom22116546311539
4Derby CountyDerby2211563124738
5Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2211473526937
6Middlesbrough229942416836
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest22811332221035
8Aston Villa228954334933
9Swansea CitySwansea229582724332
10Birmingham CityBirmingham2271053227531
11Stoke CityStoke2271052927231
12Blackburn RoversBlackburn2271052933-431
13Queens Park RangersQPR229492732-531
14Bristol City228682726130
15Preston North EndPreston227783537-228
16Wigan AthleticWigan2274112330-725
17Hull City2266102330-724
18Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2266102840-1224
19Brentford2257103334-122
20Rotherham UnitedRotherham2241082233-1122
21Reading2247112735-819
22Millwall2247112838-1019
23Bolton WanderersBolton2246121530-1518
24Ipswich TownIpswich2228121837-1914

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