Birmingham v Wrexham: Players get into a scrap, Paul Mullin ‘almost bites’ Alex Cochrane’s leg, and James McClean was on the wind up.
Jack Marriott put Wrexham ahead just 3 minutes in, before Jay Stansfield scored twice for the Blues, then Tomoki Iwata also netted stunning long-range effort.
Krystian Bielik also saw red in a bad-tempered ending, with Rob McElhenney, David Beckham, one of his children, Gary Neville and Tom Brady watching on at St Andrew’s.
The result means Wrexham are still top of the League One table, with 13 points from 6 games played, while Birmingham move into 2nd on the same points but after 5 games.
The game saw a number of incidents and talking points, the game boiling over.
Birmingham said in their match report: “Towards the end, things became fractious. Paul Mullin reacted unnecessarily to a challenge and was the first of five players who subsequently collected a yellow card following the melee that ensued. And one of these, Bielik, earned himself a second in the 86th minute.”
Wrexham said: “Tensions spilled over with ten minutes remaining, as Mullin reacted angrily to being pinned down by Cochrane, and a brawl erupted. Mullin, Keshi Anderson and the two captains â James McClean and Bielik â were all booked in the aftermath. That yellow card proved costly for Bielik too, as he then wiped Cannon â on for Ollie Rathbone â out as he looked to attack down the right wing to earn a second booking and his marching orders.”
Tom Brady applauding the scrapđđđ#bcfc pic.twitter.com/u6Pd5vG5hC
â The 44 â˝ď¸ (@The_Forty_Four) September 16, 2024
Mullin remembers heâs on TV. Dirty that.#BCFC #Wrexham pic.twitter.com/FzkqGxiz35
â Nick (@Nick_BCFC_) September 16, 2024
Sky Sports report that Birmingham chair Tom Wagner, minority owner Tom Brady and Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney ’caused a stir’ in being present and paraded round pitchside.
Birmingham fans and James McClean were also seen giving it to each other, as can be seen in the video footage below…
James McClean very rattled walking past the Birmingham fans as he gets beer thrown at him and calls one of the fans fatđłđŹ pic.twitter.com/kUDKagmd0X
â The 44 â˝ď¸ (@The_Forty_Four) September 16, 2024
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Birmingham boss Chris Davies to Sky Sports:
“I think it was our best performance. We’ve had patches and periods in the games, but for an extended period that was the best we’ve played.
“It was a really difficult start. That’s the first goal we’ve conceded from a set-piece and we’ve been strong in that area. But in the response I didn’t see any change at all from the players. It was almost as if it didn’t happen.
“We played some good stuff and worked the ball forward well into good areas. And we were making them defend. It felt like from our point of view it was wave after wave of attack. We then came out quickly in the second half and got that second goal. It was really good.”
Birmingham City manager Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:
“All the stuff around the game is good profile for the club and good for other people but, for me, this was no different to Rotherham away at the weekend.
“It was a very difficult start for us conceding so early, but full credit to the players for showing the character they did and behaving like it hadn’t even happened.
“We played some really good stuff and got into some good areas and Jay Stansfield got two poachers’ goals. The first was pure instinct following a rebound – but that’s what all the best finishers do and and full credit to Alex Cochrane for setting up his second.
“That third goal was so important, giving us that two-goal cushion. But Krystian will be annoyed with himself for getting sent off. We’ve got a good squad for a reason though – and it’s a chance for someone else to step into his place.”
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson to Sky Sports:
“I thought we were excellent at the start. We got the goal, switched the play well and contained them really well. With their first shot on target they got a goal back.
“I just said to the lads we’ve not had many setbacks in terms of conceding recently, and our reaction to it wasn’t what it needed to be. We gave it away too cheaply and gave it back too many times.
“Second half we were sat a bit too deep and didn’t engage quickly enough, and got undone by two moments of real quality.”
Parkinson added, per BBC Sport: âTheir [first] goal knocked us too much,.
âAnd then we didnât judge the ball quick enough for the next two goals â and if you give time to the quality of players Birmingham have got they will produce quality.
âBut for us as a group itâs a good learning curve. Weâve hardly conceded a goal this season, weâve not been behind in a game, but we have been behind in pivotal games over the last few years and we have responded better than we did here.
âThe way we played we looked like a team playing with assurance and confidence â as we should because we came here top.
âBut the goal changed the feeling in stadium. They were very good after, but we could have done better. It wasnât a lack of effort, but we have to learn from it and we will take lessons into the next games.
âAny defeat is tough to take, but we have to be realistic in terms of where weâve come from. At the start of the season after six games â and the first three away games at Bolton, Peterborough and Birmingham â and to have only been beaten once, we would have taken it.
âThey have spent more money than any team outside of the Premier League, and have good quality players, but there are areas to improve. Itâs about responding and if we come up against that situation again, when weâre under pressure, can we do better?
âEvery player we were going for, they were outbidding us or offering more wages; it was almost ‘let them sign who they want and everyone else will look for what else is out there’.
âNo-one can compete in this division in terms of their spending and it would have been madness for us. If I was in their position, youâd get the best possible players you can and thatâs what theyâve done.
âBut as much as we havenât got carried away with our start, you canât get too carried away with Birmingham. With the options theyâve got, they will take some beating.
âIt was a good performance by them, but there is a lot of football to be played.â
Social media users reacted as Birmingham v Wrexham sees players scrap, Mullin ‘almost bites’ Cochrane’s leg, and McClean on the wind up…
Rob Taylor: Birmingham were a very good side in fairness
Philip Ian Harvey: Fair play to Birmingham. They were the better team. That one striker theyâve got cost more than our entire team. Theyâre favourites to win this league and we are not going to win every game for sure. That said, Iâve noticed (along with others I guess) that we sitting back too much and inviting teams to come at us. We canât keep doing that because weâll get slammed in here. Good effort though and we move forwardâŚ.. only forward.
Richard Baker: Birmingham will win league one by 15 points. Good news for the Welsh club is there isn’t another team that looks that much better than the rest so second in very much achievable
Billy RE: It’s just one game. You can’t win them all and we won’t win them all. I just hope both of us go up. Good following from your lot tonight
Neil Brown: Birmingham fan, big respect for the comments on here about us, going to be a long season but definitely think we Will both be challenging at the end. Looking forward to the return game in January KRO
Nick Fenton : Bluenose here but I really admire what you lot have done in recent seasons. Take it from someone who’s seen his fair share of his side losing, it’s just one game. I can’t say I’m not delighted with it, I’m ecstatic. But it’s the nature of the game. Someone has to win, someone has to lose.
There’s the rest of the season to go yet so KRO lads.
Western Australia Blues OSC: Fair play to Wrexham! Love seeing whatâs going on at your club, you were in the darkness for many of years. All these keyboard warriors bashing you for your ownership. Who cares? The most important thing is the community are involved and the owners are getting involved with the community. Great for Wrexham as a place and as a club! Same as us dark times have been upon us and the clouds have lifted! Who would have thought 10 years ago there would have been more interest in Blues v Wrexham than any Premiership game at the weekend! Itâs healthy for football and gives the younger generations a real reason to back their local club! Keep Right On to all the Wrexham faithful and thank you for a cracking game and atmosphere. Cannot wait to come to The Racecourse Ground for the repeat! đ
Tina Codd Reilly: Hard luck lads. But we knew it would be a hard match. Birmingham are a good team. As everyone is saying you can’t win them all .
Allan Brown: As a blues fan… I thought the fan’s for both supporters were brilliant.. this was a great credit to league 1 footie especially with the amount of attention it had. The game was ruined for me seeing Mullins let himself down with the bite and then cau⌠See more
Daniel Ryan: Bluenose in peace you guys have a well drilled unit you will be up there at the very least playoffs good luck for the rest of the season see you in wrexham
Geraint Hughes: Wrexham underperformed massively on the night and the better side won. No panic whatsoever as so far it’s been a decent start to life in League One. đ
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