Huddersfield Town vs Birmingham City. Sky Bet Championship.
The John Smith's Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Huddersfield and Birmingham at the John Smith's Stadium as Fraizer Campbell put the Terriers in front but Marc Roberts earned a draw for the Blues
Tuesday 2 March 2021 22:37, UK
Huddersfield and Birmingham shared the spoils in a low-quality 1-1 draw between the two Sky Bet Championship strugglers.
Fraizer Campbell's fine finish was cancelled out by Marc Roberts' tap-in as both sides gained a welcome point in their respective battles to stay up.
Town are now eight points above the bottom three, City six.
The flow in the early stages was heavily affected after an aerial collision between Huddersfield's Richard Stearman and City's Harlee Dean. It left Stearman the worse off of the two and slightly groggy after a few minutes of treatment.
Both sides probed and pushed but neither could fashion a meaningful attempt in the cagey early stages.
The closest either came in the first quarter of the game was through Jeremie Bela's cross-shot, perhaps an indictment of how little quality there was on show.
The game was starting to liven up with Campbell's mazy run resulting in a shot being charged down before down the other end Ivan Sanchez suffered the same fate, with Stearman getting in a fine block.
Sanchez was causing Town plenty of problems and after 35 minutes he lashed another effort just over before Pipa fired straight at Neil Etheridge in response.
Isaac Mbenza was presented with a decent chance after a free-kick was awarded on the edge of the Birmingham area. But as was befitting with the entire half, and after a long wait to take it, he proceeded to blaze it well over the bar.
The second half, much like the first, took a while to get going with the visitors' Alen Halilovic firing in a shot that Ryan Schofield tipped over the bar.
City were enjoying more of the ball upon the restart and Schofield's gloves were kept warm with a Kristian Pedersen shot that was deflected into his hands just before the hour mark.
Despite the visitors being on top, it was the hosts who went in front after 63 minutes.
Campbell lashed the ball home after a loose clearance fell his way on the edge of the City box.
Birmingham's response was swift to say the least. A corner was scruffily dealt with by the hosts and it kindly fell to defender Roberts who stabbed home from a few yards out.
The game then reverted to type with both sides struggling to break each other down as the clock wore on.
Not even the introduction of strikers Yaya Sanogo or Scott Hogan could alter the outcome, as both sides had to make do with a point.
Huddersfield's Carlos Corberan: "I think the team gave a lot of effort tonight. We wanted to go for the three points and after we went ahead we couldn't defend the lead. But I saw a lot of effort from my players and a good competitive level from them to help get the point we got.
"You can look at it two ways. We were going for the three points. I'm happy with the competitive level, but we didn't win the game. We had to find a better balance between taking risks and avoiding counter-attacks like when Preston scored last weekend. We decided to go longer and take fewer risks tonight. It's important to learn to make chances without giving up chances."
Birmingham's Aitor Karanka: "I think a point was about right in the end. We played well in the first half. Once again we started loosely but we had a good comeback and I could feel that they [Huddersfield] are not the team they were at the beginning of the season.
"For us it has been a good game, for sure in the past we would have lost that game, now we are better. We have a point, we are keeping them close to us in the table. I think it is a good point and especially a good performance."
