Fabbrini with goals, a released handbrake and a 'blatant' penalty as Birmingham City bounce back

Birmingham City were denied a morale-boosting victory by Benik Afobe’s late, late penalty, eight minutes into six minutes of added time. Blues had led twice, first through Juninho Bacuna and then Lyle Taylor – only to be pegged back on each occasion leaving them short-changed after a spirited display.

It was certainly far, far better than the one that resulted in a 6-1 defeat at Blackpool on Easter Monday as Lee Bowyer opted to pick his senior players and a nuggety side capable of going toe-to-toe with an aggressive Millwall team. To be fair to them, they did that, refusing to be cowed by trips, tugs and body-checks and reconnecting with supporters who rounded on them at Bloomfield Road.

A home win would not only have been welcome, it would have been deserved as Blues also twice hit the frame of Bartosz Bialkowski’s goal. Here’s what stood out in the penultimate home game of the season.

Once again Blues were unable to see out a winning position on an afternoon that was a microcosm of their season. Score a few, miss a few more, concede a couple and then find themselves on the wrong end of a marginal – which is being kind to Leigh Doughty – refereeing decision which ultimately denies them a victory.

That feels like the narrative of so many of Blues’ matches this season, putting in a shift but coming up short through a combination of their own failings and misfortune. If Doughty was wrong on the penalty – and I think he was – then Onel Hernandez needed to more than fall over when he went round Bartosz Bialkowski at 2-1 up and Juninho Bacuna should have hit the back of the net and not the crossbar in the first half. All so familiar.

All that was missing was the thigh or calf strain that have been de rigueur for much of the