Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Birmingham City: Blues rue missed chances
- Published
Birmingham missed numerous opportunities to break the deadlock
Wycombe Wanderers are now 12 points from safety at the bottom of the Championship as they were held to a goalless draw by 10-man Birmingham.
The Chairboys were indebted to goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, who kept Blues at bay with superb stops from Mikel San Jose and Maxime Colin.
Birmingham ended the game a man down after defender Marc Roberts was sent off for chopping down Fred Onyedinma.
But the home side, who have now won just once in 15 games, were unable to capitalise in the few minutes remaining.
Birmingham looked the stronger side in the opening half hour, with opportunities falling to Ivan Sunjic and Lukas Jutkiewicz, who forced a smart save from Allsop with his volley on the turn.
But it was Blues goalkeeper Neil Etheridge who produced the best stop of the first half, leaping to his right to push away an Uche Ikpeazu volley that threatened to wrong-foot him as it spun off Gary Gardner.
However, Etheridge was outshone after the break, with his opposite number performing heroics to stretch and push away San Jose's glancing header from Jeremie Bela's cross.
Allsop bettered that later in the game, with Bela again supplying the ball for Colin's header at close range - yet the keeper somehow clawed it to safety.
Despite Roberts' 88th-minute dismissal, Wycombe could not find a winner and they remain deep in trouble, while Blues drop to 21st and are just three points above the drop zone.
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"It was going back in time a little bit, that game - no disrespect, but it wouldn't have looked out of place in League Two. There were very limited moments of quality.
"I think what was Premier League was the two goalkeepers - they both made match-saving saves. If anyone comes out with credit, it's the goalkeepers and that's usually the story of a 0-0.
"From Saturday (a 7-2 defeat at Brentford), we've progressed a great deal and that was important.
"Either team nicking it would probably have been unjust. I'm pleased with the point and we'll build on that."
Birmingham head coach Aitor Karanka told BBC WM 95.6:
"We have to take positive things from the players, the commitment, but it's a shame because the team deserved to win this game.
"I told the team after the game 'no-one is going to give us any presents this year' so we have to fight for every single point.
"The only way is to concentrate every game 100%, trying to keep a clean sheet, which is important."