Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 0, Birmingham City 0.
WycombeWycombe Wanderers0BirminghamBirmingham City0
Wycombe Wanderers are now 12 points from safety at the bottom of the Championship as they were held to a goalless draw by 10-man Birmingham.
The Chairboys were indebted to goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, who kept Blues at bay with superb stops from Mikel San Jose and Maxime Colin.
Birmingham ended the game a man down after defender Marc Roberts was sent off for chopping down Fred Onyedinma.
But the home side, who have now won just once in 15 games, were unable to capitalise in the few minutes remaining.
Birmingham looked the stronger side in the opening half hour, with opportunities falling to Ivan Sunjic and Lukas Jutkiewicz, who forced a smart save from Allsop with his volley on the turn.
But it was Blues goalkeeper Neil Etheridge who produced the best stop of the first half, leaping to his right to push away an Uche Ikpeazu volley that threatened to wrong-foot him as it spun off Gary Gardner.
However, Etheridge was outshone after the break, with his opposite number performing heroics to stretch and push away San Jose's glancing header from Jeremie Bela's cross.
Allsop bettered that later in the game, with Bela again supplying the ball for Colin's header at close range - yet the keeper somehow clawed it to safety.
Despite Roberts' 88th-minute dismissal, Wycombe could not find a winner and they remain deep in trouble, while Blues drop to 21st and are just three points above the drop zone.
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"It was going back in time a little bit, that game - no disrespect, but it wouldn't have looked out of place in League Two. There were very limited moments of quality.
"I think what was Premier League was the two goalkeepers - they both made match-saving saves. If anyone comes out with credit, it's the goalkeepers and that's usually the story of a 0-0.
"From Saturday (a 7-2 defeat at Brentford), we've progressed a great deal and that was important.
"Either team nicking it would probably have been unjust. I'm pleased with the point and we'll build on that."
Birmingham head coach Aitor Karanka told BBC WM 95.6:
"We have to take positive things from the players, the commitment, but it's a shame because the team deserved to win this game.
"I told the team after the game 'no-one is going to give us any presents this year' so we have to fight for every single point.
"The only way is to concentrate every game 100%, trying to keep a clean sheet, which is important."
Line-ups
Wycombe
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Allsop
- 2GrimmerBooked at 86mins
- 12Knight
- 6Tafazolli
- 27Obita
- 28Ofoborh
- 18Thompson
- 10BloomfieldSubstituted forWheelerat 90+1'minutes
- 23Onyedinma
- 9IkpeazuSubstituted forAkinfenwaat 68'minutes
- 15MuskweSubstituted forKashketat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Stewart
- 7Wheeler
- 11Kashket
- 17Horgan
- 19McCleary
- 20Akinfenwa
- 26McCarthy
- 32Anderson
- 33Mehmeti
Birmingham
Formation 4-3-3
- 30Etheridge
- 2Colin
- 4RobertsBooked at 87mins
- 12DeanBooked at 79mins
- 3Pedersen
- 34Sunjic
- 19San José
- 20Gardner
- 17SánchezSubstituted forFriendat 90'minutes
- 10Jutkiewicz
- 11Bela
Substitutes
- 1Prieto
- 5Friend
- 9Hogan
- 14Leko
- 15Clarke-Salter
- 16Cosgrove
- 18McGree
- 23Toral
- 24Harper
- Referee:
- John Brooks
Match Stats
Home TeamWycombeAway TeamBirmingham
- Possession
- Home39%
- Away61%
- Shots
- Home4
- Away18
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 0, Birmingham City 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Gary Gardner (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Jérémie Bela with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Jack Grimmer.
Substitution
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. David Wheeler replaces Matt Bloomfield.
Post update
Harlee Dean (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers).
Post update
Foul by Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City).
Post update
Ryan Tafazolli (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. George Friend replaces Iván Sánchez.
Dismissal
Marc Roberts (Birmingham City) is shown the red card.
Post update
Foul by Marc Roberts (Birmingham City).
Post update
Fred Onyedinma (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Ryan Tafazolli.
Booking
Jack Grimmer (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jack Grimmer (Wycombe Wanderers).
Post update
Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Marc Roberts.
Booking
Harlee Dean (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Harlee Dean (Birmingham City).
