Ipswich Town's Ashley Young claps after the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
Birmingham City 1-1 Ipswich Town, EFL Championship: Late Hirst Penalty Spices Up Opener
George Hirst netted a contentious penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to rescue a point for Ipswich Town and hold Birmingham City to a 1-1 draw in the opening game of the EFL Championship 2025-26 season. Birmingham seemed to be set for a win after Jay Stansfield gave them the lead in the 55th minute. But as the game ticked into added time, Lyndon Dykes was penalised for what many claimed was a harsh handball inside the area, with Hirst confidently dispatching the resulting spot-kick.
EFL Championship: Ipswich Town vs Birmingham City
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Birmingham City's Jay Stansfield, center, celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
EFL Championship 2025-26: Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
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Ipswich Town's George Hirst, right, and Birmingham City's Phil Neumann battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship match at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
Championship Soccer Match: Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
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Birmingham City's Kyogo Furuhashi, right, fouls Ipswich Town's Jacob Greaves during the Championship soccer match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
Championship Soccer Match: Ipswich Town vs Birmingham City
| Photo: Nick Potts/PA via AP
Birmingham City co-owner Tom Wagner greets fans inside the stadium ahead of the Championship soccer match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
Championship Soccer Match: Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
| Photo: Nick Potts/PA via AP
Birmingham City co-owner Tom Wagner takes a selfie with a fan ahead of the Championship soccer match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, England.
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