Birmingham City Earns Draw Against Swansea City
Birmingham City secured a rare point on the road, coming from behind to draw 1-1 against Swansea City.
Swansea appeared set for a fifth consecutive home victory in the Championship after Zan Vipotnik's cushioned volley put them ahead in the first half.
Despite hitting the woodwork three times, Swansea's inability to score a second goal allowed Patrick Roberts to equalize for Birmingham with a close-range effort.
This result extends Birmingham's winless streak in away league matches to eight, but it is a welcome outcome considering Chris Davies' team has only managed to collect six points from their last 39 available on the road.
Swansea, drawing for the first time in 11 league matches under Vitor Matos, moved up to 16th place in the standings, now just six points clear of the relegation zone, while Birmingham sits two points ahead in 14th.
The opening goal for Swansea came after Goncalo Franco beat Kai Wagner to the ball on the left flank and delivered a driven cross. Vipotnik met the ball first time, and despite a touch from Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle, it found the back of the net.
Beadle later made a remarkable save to deny Swansea a second goal, pushing Franco's left-footed shot onto the crossbar as it headed for the far corner.
Birmingham had their chances in the first half, with Marvin Ducksch having a shot blocked, Roberts firing over the bar, and Kyogo Furuhashi misconnecting with Tomoki Iwata's cross when he seemed poised to score.
Swansea nearly extended their lead early in the second half when Ronald struck a half-volley that hit the woodwork after a corner was not cleared.
The Swans were punished for their missed opportunities when Wagner's cross from the left was helped on by Ducksch, allowing Roberts to find space and drill the ball home off the underside of the crossbar.
Substitute Jay Stansfield was denied a chance to put Birmingham ahead by a superb last-ditch tackle from Jay Fulton. Swansea almost had the final say when Liam Cullen's powerful header bounced off the bar, keeping the score level.
Analysis: Birmingham City Maintains Momentum as Frustration Persists for Swansea
Davies, a former Welsh youth international, returned to familiar territory, having been an assistant to Brendan Rodgers during Swansea's ascent to the Premier League 15 years ago.
Before his return to Wales, the Birmingham boss expressed a "good feel" around the club following a home win against Coventry City and last weekend's FA Cup victory at Cambridge.
This draw helps sustain momentum for Davies' side, although Swansea will feel they deserved to win.
Vipotnik's 11th league goal of the season positions him as one of the top scorers in the Championship. Matos may regret that other significant chances did not fall to his in-form center forward.