Birmingham City vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
St. Andrew's StadiumAttendance21,116.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Swansea City at St Andrew's on Saturday | Jordan James' 95th-minute equaliser rescues a point for the Blues in Tony Mowbray's first game
Saturday 13 January 2024 18:54, UK
Substitute Jordan James rescued a 2-2 draw for Tony Mowbray's Birmingham as the battle of the new managers ended all square with Luke Williams' Swansea at St Andrew's.
Harry Darling put the visitors ahead before Siriki Dembele quickly equalised only for Jamal Lowe to restore the Swans' lead after the break before Wales international James drove home in the 95th minute.
Darling also hit the bar but Blues wasted several chances as the hosts ushered in the Mowbray era after Wayne Rooney's departure.
Swansea, in former Notts County manager Williams' second match in charge, are unbeaten in four, while Blues are now without a win in seven including the FA Cup.
Birmingham, showing five changes from the 3-0 defeat at Leeds, pressed from the kick-off and the lively Dembele created two half-chances.
Koji Miyoshi's low attempt sailed narrowly wide from 16 yards, then the latter's cross hit Matt Grimes to give Scott Hogan the chance to launch a spectacular overhead kick that flew straight at Carl Rushworth.
Blues went even closer to taking the lead in the 25th minute after Bashir Humphreys was dispossessed by Jay Stansfield.
From the on-loan Fulham forward's cross, Dembele's shot was blocked by Rushworth then Krystian Bielik's follow-up was diverted away by a defender.
Swansea punished Blues to take a 36th-minute lead with their first serious effort on goal.
Defender Darling stole in unmarked to power home a bullet header from Josh Tymon's corner.
But their advantage was short-lived as Dembele equalised with a fine solo goal on 38 minutes.
The left winger sprinted away from his marker before curling a low right-footed shot beyond Rushworth and into the far bottom corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.
Birmingham ended the first half as they started it - on the attack. Stansfield's fierce follow-up was deflected behind after Hogan got in front of Rushworth forcing him to drop Miyoshi's curling attempt.
The hosts should have gone ahead within a minute of the restart.
The inspired Dembele darted clean through for a one-on-one with Rushworth who denied him, after Hogan flicked on Dion Sanderson's pass.
Swansea almost scored again with two quick chances before regaining the lead.
Darling's looping header from a deep free-kick crashed off the bar then goalkeeper John Ruddy blocked Lowe's angled shot.
Lowe was not to be denied again though after getting ahead of Sanderson to poke home Tymon's left-wing cross in the 59th minute for his sixth goal of the season.
Birmingham looked dead and buried after tailing off in the last half-hour but, out of nowhere, James produced a moment of magic when he drilled home from 25 yards after a short pass from fellow substitute Juninho Bacuna.
Birmingham's Tony Mowbray:
"I thought we could have had scored five goals with the chances we had in the first half.
"There were chances right in front of the goals where we had shots blocked and then (Siriki) Dembele ran through at the start of the second half - I didn't see Swansea having those chances.
"I was frustrated that we didn't win the game, so it was very nice that Luke Williams (Swansea head coach) said we deserved something from it.
"Hopefully, somewhere down the line those chances will go in and we will win 5-2.
"There's a long way to go and it's a gradual thing because I've had three and a half days on the training pitches.
"We have to play forward more - I don't like teams that 'horse-shoe' it around the back and pass it back to the goalkeeper.
"But we kept going to the end and any team that can recover from going goals down is an important trait.
"The players have looked me in the eye and they have bought into what I'm trying to do."
Swansea's Luke Williams:
"It was disappointing because there was such little time (after Birmingham's late equaliser) but if you take the game overall, Birmingham deserved at least a point.
"We didn't create enough clear-cut chances to have won - maybe three good chances - but you can't win a game like that if the other team create three good chances.
"I think we expected a really energetic performance from Birmingham because Tony Mowbray will make sure that happens.
"But we caused ourselves problems because with a team really fired up to press you and be aggressive, we couldn't afford to play sloppily, especially near your own goal.
"But I think we made the classic mistake of trying to defend the lead out (for the late equaliser)."
