Phil Neumann struck twice as Birmingham City eased the pressure on manager Chris Davies with a 2-1 Championship win at Wrexham which ended their winless start to the campaign and prolonged that of their hosts.
Birmingham tore Wrexham apart in the first half but only Neumann’s 13th-minute header separated the sides at the break.
That allowed Callum Doyle to level early in the second half, but a disjointed Wrexham side were soon behind again as Neumann nodded in the winner just after the hour to leave ambitious Wrexham stuck on two points from three league games.
With a number of fans having turned on Davies, Birmingham urgently needed a response from Tuesday’s 6-1 Carabao Cup thrashing at home to Brentford and delivered one as they created a string of first-half chances.
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Just seven minutes in August Priske‘s point-blank header struck Ollie Rathbone on the line when it looked a certain goal.
Next Demarai Gray’s goalbound strike deflected off Doyle to go narrowly wide. From the resulting corner, it was all too easy for Neumann to outmuscle the Wrexham defence and nod in Alex Cochrane’s cross.
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Jay Stansfield squandered a glorious chance in the 23rd minute, somehow firing high and wide of a gaping goal after Carlos Vicente laid the ball off.
Phil Parkinson, who handed a debut to new signing Jacques Ekomie at right wingback, is keen to sign a new defender and forward before the window shuts and it was easy to see why, with his defence being run ragged at one end while they struggled to create at the other.
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More than once Nathan Broadhead hesitated or lost possession in good positions, and the only save James Beadle needed to make before the break was a routine stop on a low drive from Danny Imray.
The start to the second half was much better from the hosts and they levelled in the 54th minute when Doyle got clear of his marker to side-foot home Lewis O’Brien’s curling cross.
Just after the hour Kieffer Moore almost put them in front, turning away from Neumann but then firing into the side-netting.
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Instead, Birmingham retook the lead as Neumann struck again, running clear of a static Zak Vyner to head in Priske’s lofted cross.
Parkinson responded with a quadruple substitution, including a comeback for last season’s top-scorer Josh Windass, who missed preseason and the opening three matches of the campaign with a calf injury, and a return for Issa Kaboré, now a permanent signing after last season’s loan from Manchester City.
Wrexham almost had a second equaliser in the 76th minute. Kaboré’s cross from the right found Moore at the back post. Beadle could only get a hand to his header and was grateful Sam Smith could not stretch to poke home the loose ball before the goalkeeper recovered.
