Birmingham 2-2 Ipswich: Wayne Rooney is denied his first win as Marcus Harness’ late brace rescues a point for high-flying Tractor Boys… after Jay Stansfield and Cameron Burgess’ own goal put Blues ahead
- Birmingham blew a two-goal lead as Marcus Harness netted two late strikes
- Wayne Rooney was kept waiting for his first Blues win after his side went 2-0 up
- Is Erik ten Hag out of his depth at Man United? Listen here to It’s All Kicking Off
All Wayne Rooney could do was turn to his bench, hold out his palms and let out a sigh as an 89th minute goal denied him his first win as Birmingham City boss.
In the end there will be frustration but this was a day that, when the dust settles, will give him far more satisfaction than it does this evening.
Marcus Harness came off the bench to spoil the party, scoring twice in his 18-minute cameo.
His first was a close range finish after Freddie Ladapo’s initial strike was palmed into his path by John Ruddy, His second was a brilliant finish with the drenched ball – it didn’t stop raining all match – falling from the sky.
Kieran McKenna knows his high-flyers got away with it, much like they have in recent matches. But that’s what good teams do, they grind out results.
Wayne Rooney was kept waiting for his first Birmingham win after Ipswich rescued a 2-2 draw
Marcuss Harness was the hero for the visitors as he bagged a brace, including a late equaliser
That’s the challenge to Birmingham and this was a day to suggest Rooney can get them there with his philosophy imprinted on his players.
Not the win they were so close to seeing out but this was Waz-Ball’s coming out party.
Rooney made four changes to the side beaten by Southampton last time out, with Jay Stansfield and Ethan Laird the two notable insertions. For Ipswich there was no Brandon Williams, sidelined with a minor illness.
Immediately Birmingham looked to have a purpose to their play; decision-making had clear thought behind it. Four minutes in, when the first cries of ‘Rooney, Rooney’ echoed out from the Tilton Road stand, there was enough evidence to show a full week of training had borne fruit.
Rooney has urged his players to stay calm this week but his frustration was clear at full time
Rooney is a man of his word and the key message throughout the week was ‘calm’. That was the message to his players, to supporters and he exudes plenty.
Stood in his technical area, clad in a puffer coat and an all-black cap, Rooney stood with his arms folded as his players harried and hassled a very good Ipswich side into mistakes.
Juninho Bacuna, back in following a one-game suspension, was the first to whip the crowd into a frenzy, seeing his 25-yard strike deflected wide after space opened up following neat build-up down the left.
No-fear football, Rooney wants. On the journey to the ground it was used in mocking tones by some fans. Three defeats in three had plenty questioning the methodology.
Jay Stansfield had put the home side ahead inside the first quarter of an hour at St Andrews
MATCH FACTS
Birmingham City (4-3-3): Ruddy 6; Laird 7.5 (Longelo 78), Sanderson 7, Aiwu 6.5, Drameh 6; Sunjic 6, James 6.5 (Bielik 74, 5), Bacuna 7; Miyoshi 6.5 (Jutkiewicz 85), Stansfield 8 (Roberts 85), Burke 7 (Dembele 73)
Subs not used: Etheridge, Long, Gardner, Hogan
Goals: Stansfield (13), Burgess OG (51)
Booked: Aiwu, Drameh, Bielik
Manager: Wayne Rooney 7
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Hladky 6; Clarke 5.5, Woolfenden 6, Burgess 5, Davis 6; Morsy 6.5, Luongo 6 (Taylor 72, 6); Hutchinson 6.5, Chaplin 7 (Harness 72, 8), Broadhead 6 (Scarlett 73, 7); Hirst 6 (Ladapo 73, 7)
Subs not used: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Jackson
Goals: Harness (79, 89)
Booked: Burgess
Manager: Kieran McKenna 7
Referee: Leigh Doughty 5.5
ATT: 20,940 (1,970 away)
But here Birmingham hunted in packs and 13 minutes in they had the breakthrough via a clever snapshot on the turn from Stansfield. That’s two in two for the 20-year-old now.
Bacuna’s shot looked set to trickle through to Vaclav Hladky in the Ipswich goal after a deflection took the pace off it, but Stansfield refused to give it up. No fear of a collision, no fear of being scalded for taking a chance. Nipping in front he took a touch, swivelled and fired into the net for just the second goal of the Rooney era.
Rooney turned to the Garrison Lane Stand and roared as he let rip with a fist pump celebration. Keep calm, he had said. This was vindication.
Ipswich have been, along with Leicester, a class apart in the Championship this season and already have more points than the entire last season they spent in the second tier. And yet this was, for the most part, a display devoid of much quality.
Wales international Nathan Broadhead could – and probably should – have levelled things up around the half-hour mark when a knockdown across goal from Cameron Burgess was rifled wide of the target on the volley.
Conor Chaplin would try his luck from distance to lob Ruddy following a slack out ball from Dion Sanderson seven minutes before the break and while the save was impressive, the chance created was speculative.
The half-time whistle came and there were smiles as fans filtered to the concession stands. This was more like it. This was the football they had expected.
Ipswich’s anticipated response at the start of the half never really came, suffocated once again by the Birmingham high press.
It was 2-0 before McKenna’s side could make the 20,000-strong crowd anxious and doubtful, Burgess turning into his own net following a fizzing low cross from the left by Bacuna.
Ashley Cole and John O’Shea were among the coaches who sprinted to swarm Rooney on the touchline. The smiles on their faces could be seen from Row A to Row Z.
The Blues were cruising after the break as Cameron Burgess put the ball into his own net
But Harness and Ipswich had the last laugh as the winger netted twice in the final ten minutes
Ollie Burke was unfortunate not to make it 3-0 just before the hour when played in by Stansfield, who was brilliant on the day, with Hladky smothering his effort from five yards out.
A quadruple Ipswich change with 18 minutes to go did inspire a dramatic fightback. Six minutes after their introduction three subs combined to get the Tractor Boys their first goal.
Dane Scarlett danced through the penalty area like a training drill with cones before squaring it across to Freddie Ladapo. The substitute striker’s shot was parried by Ruddy, only into the path of another sub in Marcus Harness to set up a grandstand finish.
Rooney turned to his bench and looked for size to help see his charges over the line. Off went 5ft’6 pair Stansfield and Koji Miyoshi and on came Lukas Jutkiewicz – 6ft’1 – and Marc Roberts – 6ft’4. It wouldn’t be enough, with the brilliant Harness having the final word.
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