Birmingham kept their five-point lead over Wrexham in the League One promotion race after a 1-1 draw.
Wrexham had taken the lead at the Racecourse Ground on Thursday night, as Oli Rathbone fired them in front early on. Birmingham pegged them back soon afterwards with a goal awarded to Lyndon Dykes.
The result means Birmingham increase their lead to second-placed Wycombe to three points, with Wrexham.
Birmingham, on 57 points, also have played a game less than Wycombe (56pts) and Wrexham (52pts).
Spoils shared at the Racecourse
Wrexham co-chairman Rob McElhenney thanked his clubs’ support for their match against Birmingham from Los Angeles.
Wrexham struck the opener after just nine minutes. Ollie Palmer hassled Taylor Gardner-Hickman off the ball deep in Birmingham territory, and Rathbone picked it up before bending a lovely effort from outside the box into the bottom corner.
After 18 minutes Birmingham were level. A corner was swung in deep and Dykes headed it back towards goal before it struck George Dobson on its way in.
Wrexham are imperious at home this season and showed that power as they pushed for a winner in the second half.
Birmingham have goalkeeper Ryan Allsopp to thank for the point, particularly for a fine save on 64 minutes to keep out James McClean’s header from a corner at the near post.
Wrexham’s Oliver Rathbone scores the opener against his father’s former club, Birmingham, in their League One clash.
Birmingham equalled the scoring against Wrexham with a well-worked corner in their League One clash.
The managers
Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson:
“I thought we started really we and got a fantastic goal from Oli. Always disappointed to concede and we could have done better with their goal. It probably knocked us a bit.
“Bit I thought we responded terrifically well in the second half and we’ve had a lot of games like that where we’ve pinned teams in and the goal has come. But it didn’t quite fall for us tonight.
“But in terms of what we ask from the lads: desire, commitment and energy, we got all that.”
Birmingham’s Chris Davies:
“Mixed emotions. I thought first half we were very good despite conceding the goal and we responded to that.
“We were very calm, got control of the game again and scored a good goal from a set-piece. I liked the look of us in that half. I thought we were very threatening and gave them very little.
“Second half we had some moments, but we didn’t have the same control I’d like us to have. And in the end we ground it out and fought hard to get the point, and we’ll take that.”
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