Blues Held to a Point Despite Creating Chances to Win
Birmingham City were forced to settle for a point against Southampton after an entertaining 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
Chris Davies’ side produced an energetic and aggressive performance and created a succession of opportunities, particularly during an excellent opening period. However, August Priske’s second-half header was only enough to cancel out Keven Schlotterbeck’s first-half stoppage-time goal.
The result leaves Birmingham unbeaten in the Championship after four matches, with one victory and three draws from their opening four league games. There was plenty to encourage the Blues, particularly in the way they attacked Southampton and continued to create chances.
At the same time, Birmingham will feel that this was an opportunity missed after creating enough openings to potentially take all three points.
Fast Start from Birmingham City
Birmingham began the evening with real intent, and the atmosphere at St Andrew’s reflected the Blues’ aggressive approach from the opening whistle.
Southampton had the first significant opening when Cyle Larin was played through by Finn Azaz, but the Canadian striker could only direct his low effort straight at James Beadle.
Birmingham responded quickly. August Priske forced Daniel Peretz into a low save before Jay Stansfield came agonisingly close to opening the scoring.
After a misplaced backpass from Schlotterbeck, Stansfield raced approximately 40 yards towards goal before striking the inside of the post. It was an outstanding opportunity and one of several chances Birmingham created during an impressive opening spell.
Moments later, the Blues striker had another opportunity when he found himself unmarked in the penalty area, but his header from Alex Cochrane’s cross flew narrowly wide.
Jhon Solis then drove forward and fired narrowly wide from around 20 yards, while Southampton continued to threaten on the break.
Larin had another opportunity for the visitors, firing over after Azaz had split the Birmingham defence, ensuring that Southampton remained a threat despite Birmingham’s strong start.
Southampton Punish Birmingham Before Half-Time
Birmingham continued to push forward as the first half developed.
Cochrane’s deep free-kick found Tomoki Iwata at the far post, but the midfielder could not keep his effort on target. Priske was also inches away from connecting with a Patrick Roberts cross as Birmingham continued to threaten.
However, Southampton delivered a major blow just before the interval.
With the first half almost over, Southampton won a corner and Leo Scienza delivered an excellent ball into the danger area. Schlotterbeck rose above the Birmingham defence and powered a header beyond Beadle.
The goal arrived in the third minute of first-half stoppage time and gave Southampton a 1-0 lead at the break.
Given Birmingham’s earlier opportunities, it was a frustrating way for the Blues to enter half-time behind.
Half-Time: Birmingham City 0-1 Southampton
The Blues had created enough opportunities to feel that they deserved more from the first half, but Southampton had taken advantage of their set-piece opportunity when it mattered.
August Priske Provides the Response
Birmingham came out for the second half determined to get back into the game, and the equaliser arrived ten minutes after the restart.
Patrick Roberts produced the quality from the right, delivering a dangerous cross into the Southampton penalty area. Priske attacked the ball and guided a header beyond Peretz to make it 1-1 in the 55th minute.
It was Priske’s first league goal of the campaign and rewarded an energetic performance from the Danish forward.
The equaliser lifted the atmosphere inside St Andrew’s and Birmingham immediately looked capable of completing the comeback.
Southampton Fight Back
The momentum began to shift as the second half progressed.
Southampton introduced James Ward-Prowse and Kuryu Matsuki, and the visitors began to exert greater control.
Larin was presented with another opportunity after the ball dropped kindly inside the Birmingham area, but once again the Canadian could not find the target.
Matsuki then appeared to have produced a superb finish when he volleyed into the bottom corner. Birmingham were relieved, however, when the assistant’s flag went up for offside.
Southampton were now asking serious questions, and Ward-Prowse subsequently tested Beadle with a 25-yard free-kick. The Birmingham goalkeeper produced an important save to keep the scores level.
James Bree collected the rebound but could only fire into the sidenetting.
Blues Continue to Push for a Winner
Despite Southampton’s pressure, Birmingham still had opportunities of their own.
Priske almost grabbed a second when his rising effort flew narrowly over the crossbar.
Phil Neumann also went close when he met a Demarai Gray free-kick with a header, but his effort was straight at Peretz.
The Blues continued to search for a winning goal, but Southampton’s defence held firm. Neither side could find the decisive breakthrough before the final whistle.
Full-Time: Birmingham City 1-1 Southampton
The final score reflected an entertaining and competitive Championship encounter, although Birmingham could look back on the chances they created and feel that victory was within reach.
What the Match Statistics Showed
Southampton enjoyed considerably more possession, controlling 64% of the ball compared with Birmingham’s 36%.
Possession, however, did not tell the whole story. Birmingham registered 16 shots to Southampton’s 13, with both sides managing four efforts on target.
Birmingham also struck the woodwork once and recorded an expected-goals figure of approximately 1.42, compared with Southampton’s 1.02.
The statistics underline the feeling that Birmingham created enough opportunities to take all three points. Southampton’s greater possession ultimately produced relatively little in terms of clear-cut chances, while Birmingham’s direct attacking approach repeatedly caused problems.
For the full match result and key match details, the Sky Sports Birmingham City vs Southampton match report provides a further reference.
Chris Davies Praises Birmingham’s Approach
Chris Davies was pleased with the way his side approached the contest, while admitting that conceding just before half-time was particularly frustrating.
The Birmingham boss described the opening as “electric” and praised his players for getting after Southampton from the start.
Davies also highlighted the atmosphere inside St Andrew’s. The Blues manager felt Birmingham deserved their equaliser and believed his team could have gone on to win the game.
August Priske was also singled out for praise after his tireless performance was rewarded with the equalising goal.
Priske Continues to Impress
For Birmingham, August Priske was one of the standout performers.
The Danish forward continually provided an outlet and worked tirelessly against Southampton’s defence. His willingness to run the channels and attack crosses gave Birmingham another dimension in the final third.
Most importantly, Priske showed the composure required to convert Roberts’ delivery in the 55th minute.
The goal could prove significant for Priske as he continues to establish himself in Birmingham’s attack.
A Point That Keeps the Blues Unbeaten
While Birmingham will look back at the game and believe they could have taken all three points, the bigger picture remains encouraging.
The Blues have now played four Championship matches without defeat, with one win, three draws and no losses. Their record stands at four matches played, one victory, three draws, zero defeats and six points.
Birmingham remain among the early Championship pace-setters and have demonstrated that they are capable of competing with teams expected to challenge towards the top end of the division.
The biggest positive from the Southampton game was arguably the number of opportunities created. The biggest frustration was failing to convert more of them.
Final Verdict: Birmingham City 1-1 Southampton
BCFC Fanzine Rating: 7.5/10
This was an entertaining Championship contest in which Birmingham showed plenty of attacking intent and enough quality to have won the match.
The Blues were particularly impressive during the first half, but their failure to take advantage of their opportunities allowed Southampton to take the lead immediately before the break.
Priske’s equaliser was deserved and Birmingham continued to push, although Southampton finished the match strongly.
Ultimately, a point against Southampton is a respectable result, but there is a nagging feeling that Birmingham left two points on the table.
If the Blues can become more ruthless in front of goal, performances like this could turn draws into victories.