Wrexham and Birmingham played out a scrappy 1-1 draw as League One’s promotion contenders battled in front of a sell-out crowd of 13,237.
Ollie Rathbone gave Wrexham the lead with a superb strike from 20 yards midway through the first half.
His effort came after a mistake from Taylor Gardner-Hickman, leaving Rathbone to rifle the ball past Ryan Allsop.
Birmingham responded just eight minutes later when Marc Leonard’s corner found Lyndon Dykes unmarked at the back post. Dykes’ header took a deflection off Wrexham’s George Dobson and found the net, though the Scotland striker claimed the goal.
Both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in a physical encounter, with Wrexham’s direct style unsettling Birmingham at times.
The hosts pushed forward in the second half, but their only real opportunity came when James McClean’s close-range header was brilliantly saved by Allsop.
A hard-fought point under the lights 🤝
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/3PTLQmjQg2
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 23, 2025
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson introduced Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher late on, hoping the fresh legs would break down Birmingham’s resolute defence.
However, Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies stood firm, heading away every cross that came their way.
Birmingham, who had looked more composed in the first half, were forced to go long under Wrexham’s pressure and rarely troubled the home defence after the break.
Despite a couple of nervy goalmouth scrambles from late Wrexham corners, both sides settled for a point.
Birmingham remain top of the table, while Wrexham’s battling performance keeps them firmly in the promotion race.
It wasn’t the most glamorous of contests, but the result was a fair reflection of two disciplined defences and determined teams fighting for Championship football.
