Birmingham City were left frustrated on Saturday as a late Stoke equaliser denied them a valuable home victory.
The Blues missed the chance to move within three points of the Championship play-off places after being held to a 1-1 draw at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
Tomoki Iwata’s first-half strike had put Chris Davies’ side in control, but Phil Neumann’s unfortunate own goal inside the final 20 minutes ensured the points were shared, a result that did little to boost either team’s promotion hopes.
Despite their strong home form this season, Birmingham were unable to turn dominance into all three points, with Davies particularly aggrieved by a controversial moment before the interval.
Iwata had an earlier effort ruled out after appearing to score from a Jay Stansfield delivery, following a Tommy Doyle free-kick, but the referee had already penalised Marvin Ducksch for a foul in the build-up.
Davies admitted after the match that he struggled to understand the decision, pointing to what he felt was a lack of consistency from the officials. He argued that Ducksch’s involvement was minimal compared to the physical treatment received by August Priske, who he claimed was repeatedly hauled down without punishment.
While acknowledging the Championship’s physical nature, Davies insisted that clear obstruction and fouls must still be identified and penalised.
The Birmingham boss’ frustration was heightened by the way new signing Priske was handled on his debut. The 21-year-old striker, who joined from Djurgarden for £6 million earlier in the week, was introduced just before the hour mark in place of fellow January arrival Ibrahim Osman.
Davies felt the Danish forward was given a tough welcome to English football but remains confident the 6ft 5in attacker will become an important player in time.
Birmingham are expected to stay busy before the January transfer window closes, with reports linking them to Alaves winger Carlos Vicente after an ambitious bid was lodged.
Davies told BBC Radio WM that adding youthful energy has already lifted the squad and suggested further movement is likely, with several players potentially coming in and out before the deadline.
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