It is truly amazing that this game, a fixture in the third tier of the football pyramid should be generating such hype not only in this country but across the pond where it is also being televised! There was a double page spread in the sports section of the Daily Telegraph no less about our great and glorious club and there is no doubt that the fallout from the summer transfer window when we obliterated the League 1 record in the acquisition of Jay Stansfield has pulled the normally Premier League obsessed media up short. Selling 18,000 season tickets and selling out St Andrew’s every game so far is arresting and has got everyone talking. With all this attention comes huge expectation which clearly has been embraced by the players and management with Alfie May making it clear that nothing but the title is the aim of the exercise this season. This puts a huge target on our back and every team will want to knock us off our perch when they play us starting with Wrexham who have made an impressive start to their campaign sitting proudly atop of the league after their five matches so far. Their style is based on direct play with swift break out from defence to attack making them very dangerous in transition. An interesting statistic is that they have some of the lowest possession percentage in the division so I expect that Blues will as likely as not see plenty of the ball but I also expect Wrexham to be resolute given that they have kept 4/5 clean sheets in the league so chances when Blues create them must be capitalised on if a positive result is to be achieved this evening.
Will picked me up from Blackwater along with little Will and Chris who had delivered a high end car down our way earlier in the day. The journey was interrupted by a closure of the M40 forcing a diversion through some of the more scenic roads in Oxfordshire which meant that we arrived just after 7 pm which still gave us enough time to get something to eat prior to the match. Little Jack and little brother Seb met us at the ground and we went up to our seats to soak in the atmosphere.
There was certainly no shortage of razzmatazz for this one with sporting and Hollywood royalty present. David Beckham and I believe Gary Neville were in attendance as well as our own Tom Brady and his arch rival Eli Manning. Wrexham’s co owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were also with the great and the good and with the floodlights flashing rhythmically to the entrance music accompanied by fireworks, vertical flame throwers a packed St Andrew’s crackled with anticipation and excitement.
The match kicked off with both sets of supporters in full voice and it was the visitors who started on the front foot forcing the first corner of the game after three minutes. It was swung in towards a gaggle of players near the goal line and Peacock-Farrell in goal attempted to punch clear. His effort dropped kindly for Marriott eight yards out who needed no second invitation to lash the ball goalwards from close range. Alex Cochrane’s attempt to block merely diverted the shot up into the top corner for an early lead for the visitors. Dreadful defending from the set piece, you have to say with poor goalkeeping yet again from our error-prone custodian at the moment. This was not in the script but the St Andrew’s faithful rallied immediately with loud strains of Keep Right On. The next 15 minutes saw a buoyant, confident Wrexham hold the edge over the nervous home side who were struggling to find their rhythm and couldn’t seem to find their slick passing style. Gradually however, Blues began to settle with calm leadership from Bielik and Klarer good width provided from Gardner-Hickman and Cochrane feeding Hansson and Iwata things started to click with excellent control from Willumsson and Paik Seung-ho who provided the glue which kept everything together in midfield all night. Paik was absolutely superb and was so close to being named man of the match. Wrexham were struggling to cope with the quick ball movement from Blues with Alfie May playing off Jay Stansfield, an equaliser was not long coming after the Welsh side!s initial flurry. May picked up the ball on the edge of the area and hit a fierce shot away which was saved by Arthur Okonkwo in goal. By rights he should have done better than parry the ball straight out in front of him with poachers like Jay Stansfield about. The young striker made no mistake gleefully slamming the ball back into the net and St Andrew’s erupted. Blues took full control from this point halfway through the first half but Wrexham held out until half time.
Blues started where they left off in the first period dominating possession and running the Wrexham players around. They were finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the pace and movement of the Blues midfield. With six minutes gone of the second half Alex Cochrane with time and space in midfield looked up and spotted Jay Stansfield running into the box. A sumptuous cross was brilliantly headed past the helpless Okonkwo for 2-1. Blues were in total command at this stage with the home crowd baying for more the screw was being turned and it was not long before a two goal cushion was achieved. Paik picked up the ball in midfield and slipped it to Iwata. He took a touch and from 25 yards unleashed a rasping shot across the keeper and in off the post sending the Tilton into raptures. Jay Stansfield so nearly completed his hat trick soon after when a ricochet from a defender fell into the forward’s path. Okonkwo spared Wrexham further pain by saving well at the near post at the expense of a corner. Blues threatened for the rest of the half to add to their lead but there was a twist nine minutes from time. An unsavoury challenge by substitute, Paul Mullin on Alex Cochrane escalated when something clearly happened whilst the players were on the floor. Several players became involved in a melee and the referee as many do in these situations, stood back and surveyed the scene. He eventually dished out yellow cards to McClean, Cannon and Mullin who was fortunate not to receive a red in my view. Significantly, Krystian Bielik also received a yellow card which as to prove all the more costly when he received a second yellow and early bath for a reckless tackle on Andy Cannon five minutes later. This was a pity because the Blues captain had had another classy and strong game. Down to ten, Blues had to endure the last few minutes and seven added on, on the defensive but there were no further dramas an they ran out comfortable and deserved winners.
The Good: The atmosphere under the lights making it one of those memorable nights. The result obviously and the manner in which Blues wrested control of the game playing an excellent entertaining brand of football after a wretched start.
The Bad: The defending from the corner which led to Wrexham’s goal particularly from Peacock-Farrell. That is three major errors in five games, four in six if you count the one playing for Northern Ireland that have resulted in goals conceded. It simply cannot continue and it would come as no surprise if Ryan Alsop is not between the sticks on Saturday.
The Ugly: The melee that resulted from Mullin sinking his teeth into Alex Cochrane’s leg. There appears to be video evidence of the incident and I hope that the EFL will deal with it harshly. There is simply no excuse for this type of behaviour. If that had happened out on the street, the perpetrator would be charged with assault.
Birmingham City: Bailey Peacock-Farrell 5, Taylor Gardner-Hickman 7 (Alfons Sampsted 64, 7) Krystian Bielik 8, Christoph Klarer 8, Alex Cochrane 8, Paik Seung-ho 9 Willum Willumsson 7 Tomoki Iwata 8, Emil Hansson 7 (Marc Leonard 72, 6) Alfie May 7 (Lyndon Dykes 64, 6) Jay Stansfield 9* (Keshi Anderson 72, 6)
Subs not used: Ryan Alsop, Scott Wright.
Goals: Stansfield 22, 52, Iwata 59.
Yellow cards: Klarer 36, Gardner-Hickman 54, Bielik 81, 86 (sent off)
Wrexham: Arthur Okonkwo 6, Max Cleworth 7, Thomas O’Connor 7, Eoghan O’Connell 7 Ryan Barnett 7 (Sebastian Revan 84, N/A) Oliver Rathbone 7 (Andy Cannon 72, 7) Elliot Lee 7, George Dobson 7, James McClean 6 (Jacob Mendy 83, N/A) Jack Marriott, 7 (Steven Fletcher 63, 6) Ollie Palmer 6 (Paul Mullin 63, 6).
Subs not used: Callum Burton, Dan Scarr.
Goals: Marriott 3.
Yellow cards: McClean 81, Cannon 81, Mullin 82.
Referee: Scott Oldham; 7: Overall, I thought Mr Oldham did a decent job and kept the match flowing. I think he could have stepped in a little quicker to prevent the melee but we don’t know all the circumstances so this point is moot.
Attendance: 27,980
Bazza KRO
Baz I think your assessment of Peacock Farrell is a bit unfair. He was clearly fouled on the line with the attacker taking him off his feet. The goal would definitely have been disallowed in the premier league. The other point I’d make, although not a good look, from the TV coverage Mullins put his mouth to the leg but definitely didn’t bite him. That said the action was indicative of the thug that he is!
Hi Kev happy to accept that view. I did wonder whether there was a foul in the build up but a keeper has to be stronger in my view but your point is well taken. The trouble is I was there at Orient and against Wigan. The errors are mounting up and I worry that if it keeps happening it will cost us points.
Thank you for being gracious. I’m not disputing other errors, I just felt he did what he needed to in the game, and wasn’t to blame for the goal. Actually having watched it again, there was a blatent handball in the move leading to the corner, so should have been a free kick not a corner.