bristol city vs wrexham: Max Bird's late stunner rescues point for Robins
Max Bird's spectacular late volley preserved Bristol City's promotion hopes and denied Wrexham a fifth successive Championship away win, the midfielder smashing home from 20 yards two minutes from time to make it 2-2 at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night (ET).
Late Bird volley turns the game on its head
The contest looked to be slipping away from the hosts after Wrexham struck first through Ollie Rathbone and then doubled their advantage when a Bristol City player turned the ball into his own net. City were booed off at half-time with no attempts on target, but Gerhard Struber's changes at the break paid immediate dividends.
Sinclair Armstrong, one of the half-time substitutes, reduced the deficit soon after the restart with a driven finish across the goalkeeper, restoring belief in front of a raucous Ashton Gate crowd. The game thereafter became end-to-end, with both keepers making important saves, before Bird produced the late moment of individual brilliance.
Receiving the ball outside the box, Bird let fly with a volley that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and over the line, an effort that drew wild celebrations from the home support and clinched a hard-earned point for City.
Second-half reaction, substitutions and contentious moments
Bristol City's manager made three changes at the interval—introducing Armstrong, Delano Burgzorg and Jason Knight—and those moves altered the match's momentum. The Robins displayed a more attacking intent after the break, pressing higher and creating the better-looking chances until Bird's strike.
The first half had been cagey, although there were a number of flashpoints. An appeal for a penalty when Dominic Hyam appeared to handle a bouncing ball was waved away, while both goalkeepers were called into action as the tempo increased in the second period. The referee's decisions, particularly in the closing stages, drew animated responses from the hosts.
Stakes, repercussions and where both teams stand
The point keeps both sides outside the Championship's top six for now and leaves the race for the play-offs finely poised. Bristol City had been looking to build on a morale-boosting weekend win, and the comeback at Ashton Gate offers reprieve after a heavy home defeat in their earlier outing there. Wrexham, who had been hunting a fifth straight away victory, will be frustrated to have let a two-goal lead slip but can take confidence from a performance that contained two clear goal moments.
For Bristol City, the manner of the second-half response will be encouraging to the manager and supporters alike: the team showed greater bravery and purpose after the break, and the substitutes were decisive. Wrexham leave having demonstrated resilience and an ability to take the game to a higher-placed opponent, but they will rue the late lapse that cost them two precious points.
With the play-off battle still tight, both clubs will look at this draw as a learning opportunity: City for maintaining consistency across a full 90 minutes, and Wrexham for closing out matches when given the advantage. For neutral observers, Bird's late volley will be remembered as one of the Championship’s more dramatic late interventions of the season.
