Birmingham and Robins Share Chaotic Contest with Late Drama

The contest began in a fog of half-chances and frustration. Twine dragged an early effort wide, while at the other end Bright Osayi-Samuel and Lorent Tolaj both passed up openings in a scrappy, bitty start that never quite caught fire.

It badly needed a jolt. The visitors supplied it.

A hopeful long ball into the Birmingham half suddenly turned dangerous. The knockdown was steered into the box, where Twine rose to meet it. His first header was blocked, bodies flying everywhere, but the attacking midfielder stayed alive to the chaos, reacted quickest and stabbed the loose ball beyond the stranded James Beadle. At last, the Robins had their first goal of the season.

That strike finally woke Birmingham up.

Almost on the stroke of half-time, they hauled themselves level in equally messy fashion. A delivery from the flank caused panic, Vicente’s effort cannoned off the post and bounced back into the six-yard box, where the unfortunate Tickle could do nothing as the ball ricocheted off him and over the line. Blues’ first goal of the campaign arrived, cruelly, off the boots of an opposition player.

The second half opened with another warning from Twine. He almost doubled his tally, bursting through to unleash a shot that Beadle just about clawed away, the Birmingham defence carved open and scrambling.

The Robins sensed their moment and turned the screw. Their pressure told with a flash of real class: Ballard, alive to a low cross, produced a delightful backheel finish that sent the travelling support wild, a piece of invention that felt worthy of winning any game.

But the drama refused to die.

Deep into the contest, Gray stepped up in contentious circumstances. Atkinson was judged by referee Will Finnie to have handled inside the area, a decision that sparked furious protests. Gray ignored the noise, kept his nerve and calmly slotted home from the spot.

A night that had lurched from scrappy to chaotic ended with a sense that this fixture, and perhaps these seasons, will be defined by fine margins and one whistle.