Middlesbrough vs Birmingham City. Sky Bet Championship.
Riverside StadiumAttendance18,350.
Report from the Sky Bet Championship clash at the Riverside Stadium
Tuesday 21 January 2020 23:14, UK
Ashley Fletcher's late equaliser enabled Middlesbrough to extend their unbeaten home run to eight Sky Bet Championship games as they claimed a 1-1 draw with Birmingham.
Boro enjoyed the better of a scrappy opening period, with Fletcher heading Djed Spence's cross wide of the target and failing to find the target with another driven effort.
However, when the home side were given a golden opportunity to take the lead midway through the opening period, they were unable to take it. Gary Gardner conceded a penalty when he clipped Patrick Roberts' legs in the area, but Paddy McNair's spot-kick was a nice height for Lee Camp to deal with, and the Birmingham goalkeeper made a fine save tumbling away to his right.
Lukas Jutkiewicz fired the visitors ahead in the first half as he marked his return to the Riverside with a neat headed finish. But Fletcher earned Middlesbrough a point as he converted Marvin Johnson's 81st-minute cross with a slick back-heel.
Camp did not enjoy his time in the north east with Sunderland, with his spell at the Stadium of Light coinciding with the Black Cats' relegation to League One, but the 35-year-old will have relished his latest return to the region. The same will have been true of Jutkiewicz, whose header fired Birmingham into the lead just three minutes after Camp was performing his goalkeeping heroics at the other end.
Jeremie Bela swung over an inviting cross from the right, and the former Middlesbrough striker stole ahead of Jonny Howson to head home from inside the six-yard box.
Birmingham came within inches of doubling their lead towards the end of the first half, with Kerim Mrabti drilling a low strike against the outside of the post after Aynsley Pears clawed David Davis' cross into his path to prevent Jutkiewicz tapping home a second goal.
Middlesbrough's problems continued with Roberts and Dael Fry both succumbing to first-half injuries - Jonathan Woodgate was already having to make do without Ryan Shotton, George Friend, Daniel Ayala and Britt Assombalonga - and Birmingham threatened again shortly before the hour mark as Kristian Pedersen looped a header onto the roof of the net after Bela crossed from the right.
Substitute Rudy Gestede came close to an equaliser with his first touch after leaving the bench, heading over from a corner, but Boro claimed a leveller with nine minutes left.
Marvin Johnson delivered a low cross from the left, which Fletcher converted via a neat back-heel from the corner of the six-yard box.
That looked like being that, but there was drama in the dying seconds as Jutkiewicz put the ball into the net moments after referee Andy Woolmer brought play to a halt because Marcus Tavenier was down a head injury.
The incident sparked a melee on the touchline that resulted in coaches Leo Percovich and Sean Rush both receiving red cards.
Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate sought to downplay the touchline fracas that blighted the closing stages of the game.
Woodgate supported Woolmer's decision to bring play to a halt, but felt his subsequent reaction to the altercation on the touchline was overblown. The Middlesbrough head coach said: "The referee has blown it out of proportion. It's a fracas, it happens. It's passion from both sides. It got the crowd going.
"Listen, if you see Leo is involved, I'm going to help him. I know Sean. Leo and Sean will meet after this, have a beer and kiss and make up and whatever they do. I was charging down the line shouting, 'Head injury, he's got to stop the game'. But don't forget, (Jutkiewicz) was offside when he scored anyway, so it wouldn't have stood."
Birmingham boss Pep Clotet saw the closing stages somewhat differently, insisting Woolmer should have allowed play to continue despite Tavernier being prone on the floor inside his own half.
Clotet said: "I think it was a clear goal. The only thing I saw was a goal. That is my opinion, it is a goal, but I have to respect the decision of the referee.
"We will see what is in the (referee's) report, but I am focused on my job and my job is the daily training and match preparation, and to help and support the players to help my club. Whatever comes from the FA we will have to read it, and I am sure they will look into it.
"Look, you saw last season the game between Leeds United and Aston Villa where Leeds scored a goal but Marcelo Bielsa did not feel right. Today, we scored a goal that feels right. It has just come to my mind how well Marcelo Bielsa applied the fair play last season."
