Wrexham 1-2 Birmingham City

Wrexham opened at Cardiff and drew 1-1, Moore early, Colwill in the 98th minute. Wrexham drew 1-1 with Watford here last Saturday. Tonight was the third league game, and the first defeat. Still no win.

Birmingham had the first half. Phil Neumann headed Birmingham in front from a corner after 13 minutes. Jay Stansfield missed an open goal. Wrexham came out better after the break. Callum Doyle levelled from a Lewis O'Brien cross. Nine minutes later Neumann headed Birmingham in front again. Parkinson said that was the one that annoyed him. Wrexham had just got level.

What Parkinson said

The club published Parkinson's verdict the next morning. "The game is won or lost at both ends of the pitch," he said. "I'm not bothered about possession, sometimes you have more, sometimes you have less. Some of our approach play was good, but in the first half we didn't play with enough conviction or belief in the final third." The half-time message worked for nine minutes: "At the start of the second half we played how I expect us to play, with more belief, more conviction and more drive in the team. We took responsibility, got back in the game, and that goal just hurts us so much because two actions within that phase of play have cost us. We just can't concede goals like that and expect to win a game of football; it's as simple as that."

On Jacques Ekomié, signed this week and handed a full debut at wing-back, Parkinson was gentler: "I think he grew into the game. He did well. Particularly in the second half, he got more of the ball in that top end of the pitch. But I felt a little bit for him because there's a certain kind of belief and way I want us to play, and I don't think we showed enough of that tonight." Issa Kaboré came on for his first appearance since making his Manchester City loan permanent, and Neumann, player of the match, said scoring twice to win Birmingham's first league game of the season was a great feeling.

The club report put the Racecourse crowd at 10,536, with 1,267 in the away end. Cochrane was booked on 15 minutes for simulation, and Cadamarteri, on for Kieffer Moore, went into the book in added time. Wrexham changed the attack after the hour: Smith, then Kaboré, Longman and Windass together, then Cadamarteri. Birmingham had already sent Roberts on for Gray at the break.

The numbers side with the result: Wrexham kept 62 per cent of the ball, but Birmingham made the better chances, 1.62 expected goals to 1.42, and Phil Neumann's 8.6 rating was the best mark on the pitch. Wrexham drop to 20th, two points from three games, and go to Millwall on Wednesday still looking for a first win.