Huddersfield Town 1-1 Birmingham City: Terriers and Blues play out drab draw
- Published
Mark Roberts' goal denied Huddersfield just a second win in 2021
Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City played out a poor draw that did little to help either side's worries at the foot of the table.
Fraizer Campbell's excellent goal lit up what was a poor game as the Terriers forward fired in first time on the half-volley from the edge of the box after Harlee Dean's poor clearance.
Four minutes later Blues were level when Mark Roberts blasted in from close range after Huddersfield failed to deal with a corner.
Scott Hogan could have won it late on for City, but he put an effort over from close range.
The point ended a two-game losing run for Huddersfield, who are three places and eight points above the relegation zone having won only once in 2021, while City are six points and one place above the bottom three.
A scrappy first half took more than 30 minutes for either side to register any efforts of note - Blues' Ivan Sanchez having two half-chances in quick succession while at the other end Pipa had a shot held by keeper Neil Etheridge.
The second half began equally indifferently, Ryan Schofield making comfortable saves from Alen Halilovic and Kristian Pedersen shortly before Campbell gave Huddersfield the lead.
The hosts will be disappointed with City's equaliser as they should have dealt with the corner better, with Roberts' equaliser meaning Carlos Corberan's side have now not kept a clean sheet in 15 games in all competitions.
Huddersfield Town manager Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:
"We didn't find enough opportunities to score, but the team at the same time that we were trying to attack we couldn't progress all the time how we wanted to.
"We expended a lot of time in defence, we expended a lot of energy to compete in the game to try to get the point.
"In the moment you score the goal you are feeling the result is close to you and you need to be very concentrated in defence.
"But in one action they got a corner from one opportunity that we need to try to avoid, and after the corner they scored in one action that I think as a team we can defend a bit better and try to avoid this goal."
Birmingham City manager Aitor Karanka told BBC Radio WM:
"We had more chances than them, especially the last one, Scotty had the chance to win the game.
"Once again we started losing but we had a good comeback and I could feel that they are not the team they were at the beginning of the season.
"In the past we would have lost that game, and now we are better, we have a point, we are keeping them close to us in the table and I think it's a good point and especially a good performance."