Swansea denied first win in three games by Patrick Roberts’ Birmingham leveller

Swansea were denied a first win in three games as Patrick Roberts brought Birmingham’s poor away sequence to an end in a 1-1 draw.

Roberts scored a 72nd-minute equaliser for the visitors to prevent them from falling to a seventh straight defeat on the road in the Championship.

The share of the spoils leaves Birmingham just above Swansea in mid-table, with both clubs distant from both the play-offs and the relegation spots.

Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik had given his team a first-half lead with his 14th goal of the season.

But Birmingham deserved their point as Swansea failed to find a decisive second goal before Sunderland loanee Roberts struck.

While Swansea were seeking momentum again after back–to-back defeats in all competitions, Birmingham had gained some from successive wins.

But until their FA Cup exit at home to West Brom on penalties, Swansea’s recent home form had been impressive and they looked the more confident side in the opening quarter.

Eom Ji-sung set his sights early on when he tested Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle from long range before the South Korean went very close to the opening goal.

Taking an inch-perfect pass from Brazilian Ronald in his stride, Eom cut back inside a Birmingham defender, only to see his shot deflected agonisingly wide.

The Swans continued to threaten through the energy of Goncalo Franco in midfield and the pace of wingers Ronald and Eom out wide.

But when the goal came, midway through the half, from a Birmingham perspective it was avoidable.

Kai Wagner dithered on the ball at left-back, enabling Franco to rob him and deliver a perfect cross for Vipotnik.

Beadle got a hand to the shot, but could not deny the Slovenian striker.

Birmingham’s only notable effort to that point had come when the trickery of Lewis Koumas created an opening which Marvin Ducksch was too slow to seize.

As Swansea faded, Blues’ best opportunities of the first half came late on when Koumas found Roberts with a cut-back but he blasted over.

Then, Tomoki Iwata fired a low ball across that should have been a tap-in for Kyogo Furuhashi, but the Japanese midfielder somehow got his feet tangled and the chance went begging.

Rallied

Birmingham continued to press for an equaliser at the start of the second half, but Kyogo was off target again as he steered a shot wide.

That was the cue for Birmingham boss Chris Davies to replace Kyogo with substitute Jay Stansfield, but not before Ronald had rattled the bar as he came close to making it 2-0.

But Birmingham rallied and they found an equaliser through Roberts with 18 minutes to go.

Wagner made amends for his earlier error by firing a dangerous cross into the heart of Swansea’s defence and although Roberts needed two bites at the cherry, he fired his second effort high into the roof of the net.

With 10 minutes to go, Swansea substitute Liam Cullen thought he had won it but his header crashed against the underside of the bar and was scrambled clear.