Chris Davies and Michael Skubala are at odds over the Birmingham City versus Bristol City drama.

Birmingham City and Bristol City shared the points in an action-packed Championship contest at St Andrew’s, but the managers left the pitch with very different opinions about the key refereeing decisions that shaped the closing stages.

Chris Davies’ Birmingham side rescued a 2-2 draw against Bristol City after Demarai Gray converted a late penalty, but the match could easily have ended differently. Both teams were involved in a dramatic final period that featured a disallowed Birmingham goal and a controversial spot-kick awarded in stoppage time.

Bristol City looked set to leave Birmingham with all three points after Dom Ballard produced a remarkable back-heeled volley with only five minutes remaining. The goal appeared to put the visitors in control after Scott Twine had earlier opened the scoring, while a Robins own goal from goalkeeper Sam Tickle had brought Birmingham level.

Chris Davies, manager of Birmingham City

Solis goal sparks controversy

The biggest controversy initially appeared to come when Birmingham thought they had found an equaliser late in the game.

Jhon Solis reacted quickest from a set-piece situation and finished from close range, apparently bringing the Blues level. However, referee Will Finnie and his assistant ruled the goal out.

The officials judged that Birmingham substitute Marvin Ducksch had interfered with Tickle’s ability to see the ball while standing in an offside position.

Davies was clearly unhappy with the decision and admitted he would have been furious had the ruling ultimately cost his team the match.

The Birmingham manager struggled to understand how Solis’ effort could have been disallowed because of the goalkeeper’s positioning.

He explained that he was surprised the officials had intervened and suggested that even the Bristol City players had not strongly appealed for an infringement.

From Birmingham’s perspective, the decision represented a huge setback because Solis appeared to have produced the moment that could have changed the result.

Late penalty changes everything

The drama did not end with the disallowed goal.

Birmingham continued pushing forward and eventually received another major decision in stoppage time.

A long throw from Alex Cochrane caused confusion inside the Bristol City penalty area. Rob Atkinson managed to head the ball away, but the referee subsequently awarded Birmingham a penalty after deciding that Jason Knight had handled the ball.

There was a lengthy pause before Finnie made the final decision, but Birmingham were eventually given the opportunity to equalise.

Demarai Gray stepped forward and showed composure from the spot, confidently sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to secure a point for the hosts.

Davies believed Birmingham deserved the penalty because their pressure had created the chaotic situation in the first place.

He argued that the Blues had forced the issue inside the penalty area and that the handball decision was a reward for their persistence.

The late sequence ensured a memorable finish at St Andrew’s, although Bristol City were left frustrated at seeing victory slip from their grasp.

Skubala strongly disagrees

Bristol City manager Michael Skubala had a completely different opinion about the penalty decision.

Jhon Solis had a goal controversially ruled out against Bristol City

Skubala admitted that he had not seen the incident clearly in real time, but he reviewed it afterwards and remained convinced that the decision was incorrect.

The Bristol City boss pointed out that Atkinson had headed the ball before it reached Knight, making the eventual handball call even more difficult for him to understand.

Skubala described the decision as “crazy” and argued that the situation could have been avoided.

He also questioned how the referee and assistant referee reached their conclusion, given that both officials had different views of the incident.

In Skubala’s opinion, the officials had enough information available to make the correct decision but ultimately got it wrong.

The Bristol City manager was particularly frustrated because his team appeared to have done enough to secure a valuable away win.

Agreement over Solis decision

Interestingly, although the managers disagreed strongly about the penalty, Skubala supported the decision to rule out Solis’ goal.

The Bristol City boss believed Ducksch had been in an offside position and had interfered with Tickle.

He felt the assistant referee had correctly identified the infringement, although he suggested the pressure of the occasion may have played a role in the confusion surrounding the late decisions.

For Skubala, the disallowed goal was the correct call, but the subsequent penalty was not.

That combination of decisions ultimately transformed what could have been a Bristol City victory into a frustrating draw.

Bristol City miss chances

Despite the late controversy, Birmingham were fortunate to escape with a point based on the balance of chances created during the match.

Bristol City created several opportunities and could have put the result beyond Birmingham’s reach before the late drama.

Lorent Tolaj was presented with two excellent opportunities with his head but failed to convert either chance.

James Beadle also played an important role for Birmingham, making impressive saves to deny Twine and Jed Wallace as the visitors threatened.

Those missed opportunities proved costly because Birmingham remained within touching distance and eventually found a way back into the contest.

Had Bristol City been more clinical, the late refereeing decisions may not have had such a decisive impact on the result.

Davies admits Birmingham must improve

Although Davies was pleased that his team fought back to earn a point, he was far from satisfied with the overall performance.

The Birmingham manager admitted that the display was below the standard he expects from his players.

He acknowledged that rescuing a point was a positive outcome, but insisted the team needed to examine why they had struggled and identify areas that required improvement.

Birmingham enjoyed around 65 per cent possession, but Davies felt their dominance of the ball should have produced more opportunities.

He was particularly concerned about the lack of fluency in their attacking play.

The Blues have also been making greater use of set pieces, something Davies believes can be useful, but he wants his side to create more chances through open play.

Counter-attacking threat concerns Davies

Another issue was Birmingham’s vulnerability when Bristol City broke forward.

Despite controlling much of the possession, the hosts allowed the visitors to create several dangerous counter-attacking opportunities.

Davies admitted that this was something the team needed to address if they were going to challenge consistently for victories during the Championship campaign.

He compared the performance with an earlier match against Reading during his time in League One, when Birmingham also produced an unconvincing display before securing a late point through a penalty.

The manager suggested there could be similarities between the two situations, particularly the pressure associated with the first home game of a season.

Expectation, tension and the desire to perform in front of their supporters may have contributed to Birmingham failing to reach their usual level.

Birmingham have plenty to improve

Davies ultimately described his feelings as mixed.

The late comeback was encouraging and demonstrated resilience, but he knows Birmingham cannot rely on last-minute penalties to collect points throughout the season.

The manager believes there is considerably more to come from his team, particularly in possession and in the final third.

For Bristol City, the frustration will centre on missed chances and the controversial penalty that denied them victory.

The two managers may disagree over the most important decisions, but the dramatic 2-2 draw highlighted how fine the margins can be in the Championship.

Birmingham will now need to improve their overall performance, while Bristol City will wonder how they failed to leave St Andrew’s with three points after coming so close to victory.