Hirst’s Last-gasp Penalty Denies Birmingham In Championship Curtain-raiser

The past nine to unafraid promotion from League One to nan Premier League successful successive seasons were ill-prepared for their abrupt emergence to nan acme of English football; it was simply a happy mishap of an fantabulous managerial feat. So it is nary astonishment that Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich are backmost successful nan Championship astatine nan first opportunity.

Should Birmingham emulate their opponents from this opening fixture they person nary intentions of pursuing nan aforesaid path. Every bold connection to look from nan nine complete this summertime makes it abundantly clear that this play successful nan 2nd tier is expected to beryllium brief. Sights person been group precocious and, connected nan ground of this capacity against guidance that took points disconnected Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa past season, it is easy to spot why.

There is, if not a swagger, past a resolute belief successful nan measurement Birmingham’s players spell astir their business. That they did not statesman their run pinch a triumph should do small to deter from nan power they showed for nan immense mostly of this encounter. When Jay Stansfield smashed location from adjacent scope 10 minutes into nan 2nd half it was conscionable rewards for their performance.

Alas, a harsh determination for handball against nan substitute Lyndon Dykes gave George Hirst nan opportunity to equalise from nan punishment spot successful wounded time. He did not discarded it. Honours even, but it did not consciousness that way.

If nan bookmakers are to beryllium trusted – unwise words – past some of these teams guidelines an fantabulous chance of playing top-flight shot adjacent season. Before a shot had been kicked, Ipswich were mostly considered to beryllium favourites to triumph this year’s Championship, pinch Birmingham nary little than 3rd successful nan odds.

The 2 clubs landed successful this section pursuing vastly contrasting fortunes successful their erstwhile campaign. While Birmingham collapsed a Football League grounds for points (111) and wins (34) erstwhile romping to nan League One title, Ipswich picked up conscionable 22 points successful nan briefest of Premier League stays.

This is an intoxicating clip to beryllium a Birmingham supporter: signings aplenty, bullish proclamations and a tv documentary that their American chair, Tom Wagner, boasted successful his programme notes is 1 of “Amazon Prime’s apical performing shows”. No surprise, then, that St Andrew’s was bouncing agelong earlier kick-off. If nan only trade-off section fans must make for specified delirium is nan somewhat overseas show of a United States emblem flying supra their location stadium past it is 1 they will happily stomach.

Jay Stansfield rifles location aft Kyogo Furuhashi’s spot near Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer stranded to put Birmingham successful front. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

In his short managerial career, Chris Davies has garnered a estimation for playing shot a definite way: namely maximum possession, speedy tempo and a accelerated press. All 3 were successful grounds present from his assured Birmingham side.

The hosts could count themselves unlucky not to summation an early lead erstwhile nan erstwhile Celtic guardant Kyogo Furuhashi – 1 of 4 summertime signings successful Birmingham’s starting XI – produced a awesome lob to embarrass nan goalkeeper, Alex Palmer, who was marooned immoderate measurement retired of his six-yard box. That fantabulous decorativeness was swiftly ruled retired though, pinch nan referee, Andrew Kitchen, deciding nan Japan world had fouled Jacob Greaves to triumph nan shot successful nan first place. It was a soft decision, to opportunity nan least, and nan location fans ensured they made their disdain large and clear.

For each that it was an immensely watchable opening half, – played pinch nary shortage of herb to a raucous backdrop successful nan stands – decent efforts were successful short supply. Sammie Szmodics lashed wide aft a dreadful Ryan Allsop correction and Stansfield drove complete from 15 yards, but 2 meek Birmingham long-range efforts marked nan only shots connected target by half-time.

If location was a squad to break nan deadlock, it seemed inevitable that it would beryllium nan hosts, specified was their casual power of nan ball. So it proved 10 minutes aft nan break. Furuhashi’s spot complete nan onrushing Palmer rebounded disconnected nan acold station consecutive into nan way of Stansfield, who had each nan clip successful nan world to firearm nan follow-up past nan defender Dara O’Shea and into nan tile of nan nett from a fewer yards out.

Davies’ broadside did not suffer a azygous location convention crippled past play – compiling nan second-longest unbeaten location tally successful nan club’s history – and only 1 broadside who fell down astatine St Andrew’s near pinch a point.

It looked for a agelong clip for illustration Ipswich would not adhd to that tally, until a area was headed backmost crossed extremity wherever it struck Dykes’s outstretched limb astatine very adjacent range. Hirst delivered and nan points were shared.