Birmingham City held by Middlesbrough after late own goal

A late own goal cost Birmingham City two points as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Middlesbrough at St Andrew's. The result leaves Blues tenth in the Championship standings with 11 points from eight games, a record built on five draws already this season. Their recent form shows just one win in their last five outings.

Liam Millar scored his first goal for the club to put Birmingham ahead after Max Arfsten had given the visitors the lead. The decisive moment came from a Cochrane corner in the 88th minute, headed down by Jay Stansfield before a goalmouth scramble saw the ball go in off Riley McGree. Goalkeeper James Beadle, who has kept his side in games this season, spilled the initial effort.

Fan contributor Kym Smith said the finish felt like a smash and grab. "I would have taken a point for this game before kick-off, but conceding an equaliser in the last couple of minutes felt like Middlesbrough had managed a smash and grab raid on us," Smith said.

Three of Birmingham's five draws have now come via own goals, a statistic Smith sees as a double-edged sword. "Own goals mean that you're forcing errors and getting the benefit of them," he noted. The team's defensive resilience is clear, but converting draws into wins remains the challenge. The full picture of the team's performance can be seen in the latest stats.

Millar's arrival has added pace and quick feet to the squad, an asset evident in his goal and two assists in the recent win at Derby. With the international break now allowing time to regroup, attention turns to the short trip to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion on October 19.