Birmingham City 0-0 Stoke City: Blues extend unbeaten run to four matches

John RuddyImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

John Ruddy denied Tyrese Campbell - one of just two attempts on target at St Andrew's

Birmingham extended their unbeaten run to four matches as they drew with Stoke in a low-key encounter at St Andrew's.

In a game light on goalmouth action, Tyrese Campbell's left-footed chip from the edge of the box drew the only save of the first half, forcing Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy into a flying stop.

The hosts struggled to carve out chances, but almost broke through when Krystian Bielik's goalbound header, from Juninho Bacuna's cross, was saved by Stoke keeper Jack Bonham.

Stoke had scored 13 goals in their four previous away trips, but failed to trouble Ruddy after the break and still await a first league victory at St Andrew's since 1988.

The Potters enjoyed two-thirds of possession, but failed to test Ruddy after the break and would have come away pointless but for Nick Powell who blocked Bielik's close-range shot on the line two minutes from time.

And then in stoppage time, Jobe Bellingham's volley from Scott Hogan's ball across the box was denied by a Morgan Fox block as Birmingham came on strong late on.

The meeting was one of the few Championship matches of the day with little riding on it, and the lack of goal action for much of the game perhaps reflected the lack of urgency.

The draw leaves Blues in 17th, nine points clear of the bottom three and almost certainly safe with five games left.

Stoke remain 14th and still in sight of a first top-half finish in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League five years ago.

Birmingham City head coach John Eustace told BBC WM 95.6:

"We were really happy with a point. The game certainly wasn't a spectacle, it wasn't a great footballing game, but the way we stuck in there without Stoke really causing us many problems was good, although they had good possession.

"The conditions didn't help our forward play today at all, but they kept going and they could have even nicked it at the end.

"Overall I'm delighted to get to 50 points, that was our main aim at the start of the season. There are still 15 points to play for and we're not mathematically safe so we've got to keep fighting and scrapping for every point."

Stoke City boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:

"Their effort was excellent and organisation was good. We knew we had to stand up to a physical battle when they had the ball.

"I thought the way we played from our 18-yard box to their 18-yard box was really good in testing conditions, we just didn't have enough in the final third to win the game.

"We had a couple of the best moments in the game, but it was probably where we came up short today.

"We set out to create as many chances as we can, but naturally when a team sits in a block and doesn't really come out of their shape you're going to get the ball and it's about how to utilise the ball in that area."

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