In a highly anticipated League One matchup dubbed the “Hollywood derby”, Wrexham and Birmingham City played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw that kept both teams firmly in the promotion picture. A capacity crowd of over 13,000 at the Racecourse Ground was treated to an intense battle between the red of Wrexham and blue of Birmingham.
Rathbone Strikes First for Wrexham
The hosts drew first blood in the 20th minute through a fine curling effort from midfielder Ollie Rathbone. After dispossessing Birmingham’s Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Rathbone picked up the loose ball and bent a sublime 20-yard shot into the bottom corner past a helpless Ryan Allsop in the Birmingham goal.
Rathbone showed great composure and technique to give us the lead. It was a quality finish and just what we needed to settle any early nerves.
– Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson
Dykes Equalizes for Birmingham
The visitors were only behind for eight minutes before Lyndon Dykes brought them level. Birmingham’s Marc Leonard swung in a corner to the back post where Dykes was left unmarked. The Scotland striker’s header took a deflection off Wrexham’s George Dobson on its way in, but Dykes was quick to claim the goal as his own.
Despite the tactical battle between two robust defenses, both teams had chances to take all three points in the second half. Wrexham’s more direct approach caused some nervy moments for the Birmingham backline, while the away side looked threatening when they could find space out wide.
Goalkeepers Preserve Parity
As the game entered its final stages, both goalkeepers were called into action to maintain the 1-1 scoreline. First, Birmingham’s Allsop acrobatically tipped a wind-assisted cross from Wrexham’s Ryan Barnett over the bar. From the resulting corner, Wrexham captain James McClean, who started despite being involved in a car crash the day before, forced another smart stop from Allsop with a close-range header.
Late Wrexham substitutions saw their physical strikeforce of Ollie Palmer and Elliot Lee replaced by the fresher legs of Paul Mullin, formerly of Vauxhall Motors, and ex-Marseille man Steven Fletcher. However, a resolute Birmingham central defensive partnership of Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies stood firm to repel the aerial bombardment.
Owners Absent from “Hollywood Derby”
The match had been hyped as a glamorous affair due to the high-profile ownership of the two clubs. However, neither Wrexham’s Hollywood actor owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney nor Birmingham’s NFL legend investor Tom Brady were in attendance. Birmingham owner Tom Wagner did make the trip though, enjoying some pre-match drinks with the traveling support.
While not a classic, the hard-fought draw keeps both Wrexham and Birmingham very much in the promotion mix. Wrexham sit third, while Birmingham’s point was enough to keep them top of the pile in England’s third tier. With the season entering its decisive phase, every point could prove crucial in the battle for Championship football next year.
