Bristol City Rally To 2-2 Draw With Wrexham As Portsmouth Push Survival Bid

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Bristol City drew 2-2 with Wrexham in the Championship, as Max Bird struck late. The 89th-minute volley denied Wrexham a win that would have boosted play-off hopes. In the division’s other match, Terry Devlin inspired Portsmouth to a 3-1 victory at Charlton Athletic in the relegation fight.

Wrexham controlled long spells of the first half at Ashton Gate and created clearer chances. The pressure brought reward when Ollie Rathbone finished neatly after 34 minutes. That advantage put Wrexham on course for a result that could have lifted the club into the top six places.

Bird’s leveller arrived with time almost gone and changed the mood inside Ashton Gate. Jason Knight delivered a teasing cross from the right, which Bird met first time. The fierce strike hit the underside of the bar and bounced in. The goal keeps ninth-placed Bristol City one point behind seventh-placed Wrexham.

Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber reacted at half-time with a triple substitution. Delano Burgzorg, Jason Knight and Sinclair Armstrong all came on. Armstrong struck within two minutes of the restart from a tight angle. Wrexham then regained the lead when Joe Williams diverted Issa Kabore’s driven cross into Bristol City’s net with 14 minutes left.

Portsmouth claimed a valuable 3-1 win away to Charlton Athletic in the Championship relegation battle. Devlin scored twice from distance, either side of a Colby Bishop penalty. The result moved Portsmouth up to 19th place. Portsmouth are now above West Brom and Blackburn Rovers and hold a game in hand over each rival.

Devlin’s opening goal carried some fortune, as the shot slipped past Thomas Kaminski into the centre of the goal. Bishop then converted a penalty to make it 2-0. Devlin’s second was a powerful 25-yard strike that left Kaminski helpless. Substitute Jayden Fevrier replied for Charlton, who sit three points above Portsmouth.

Championship statistics and historical context

Wrexham were aiming for five successive away victories in a single Football League season. The club last achieved that run in May 2003, when competing in the fourth tier. Bird’s equaliser was Bird’s second Championship goal this season and Bird’s first from outside the box in the competition since August 2022, for Derby County against Middlesbrough.