Blues had to dig deep to hold off Wrexham - Klarer

Christoph Klarer captains Blues when Krystian Bielik is not in the starting XI

Birmingham City captain Christoph Klarer admits that Blues "dug deep" to hold off Wrexham in Thursday's meeting of the two League One promotion rivals at the Racecourse Ground.

Just as when they beat Wrexham 3-1 at St Andrew's in September, Blues conceded the first goal.

But this time, after equalising, it was Wrexham who went closest to finding a winner - and it took the powerful combined efforts of Austrian Klarer and former Preston centre-half Ben Davies to marshal Blues' late second-half defensive rearguard.

"It is a partnership that has evolved over the last few months. We both trust each other," Klarer told BBC Radio WM.

"Wrexham showed us how difficult they can be to play against.

"It was two teams that are where they are in the table for a reason, with a different approach on how we play the game.

"They're very good at what they do - and we had to be ready for it.

"We were below our levels in the second half going forward. We were not quite at our best. But it was important to dig deep as a team."

Blues were again without Paik Seung-Ho and Willum Willumsson in midfield, but Klarer also praised the efforts of Taylor Gardner-Hickman, who appeared to be fouled in the build-up to the Wrexham goal, and Marc Leonard.

"It was not good to have Paik and Willumsson out for a game like this," said Klarer. "But they both did really well."

Christoph Klarer stood up to a stern physical examination from Wrexham striker Ollie Palmer at the Racecourse Ground

"We go into every game thinking we can win it," added Klarer. "But this was a good point to take into the Huddersfield Town game on Tuesday night."

Blues boss Chris Davies had already targeted the Wrexham and Huddersfield away games in the space of six nights as being an integral chapter in Blues' season.

While Blues' point stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games and their lead over second-placed Wycombe Wanderers to three points, that may have changed by the time of Tuesday's meeting with the Terriers.

Wycombe only have to beat relegation battlers Northampton Town on Saturday to return to the top on goal difference. But, as long as Blues avoid defeat in West Yorkshire, they would be back at the head of affairs.

"Two games that, on paper, were the hardest you're going to face at this level," Davies told BBC Radio WM. "Two fellow promotion candidates away from home. Both real tests.

"Now we have to spend the next few days making sure we're ready for Huddersfield.

"Can we go and get another result? What do we have to do to go and win the game, with and without the ball?"