Wrexham’s winless start to the season was extended to four games in all competitions after they were beaten 2-1 by Birmingham at the Racecourse Ground.

Centre-back Phil Neumann – who has never scored more than two goals in a single season – scored both Blues goals, either side of a Callum Doyle equaliser.

It was the ideal response from Chris Davies’ side, following their 6-1 hammering at the hands of Brentford in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

The Blues deservedly established a lead after 13 minutes, when Neumann headed in Alex Cochrane’s header at the far post, but few could deny it should have been 3-0 at the break.

Before the opener, Ollie Rathbone was in the right place at the right time to block August Priske’s header from point-blank range, while after it, Jay Stansfield stepped on to Carlos Vicente’s neat cut-back and inexplicably powered a shot past the right-hand post when it looked easier to score.

Wrexham generated just 0.22 xG in the first half, but came out with more bite after the break and were rewarded when Lewis O’Brien’s dipping cross was helped past James Beadle by Callum Doyle.

But the lead lasted less than 10 minutes. Priske launched a long throw in from the right and recycled it when the first delivery was cleared, finding Neumann, who glanced a header past Anthony Patterson.

Wrexham upped the tempo as the final whistle approached, but they could not find the goal that would have haunted Birmingham.

The key moments from the Racecourse Ground…

• 7: OFF THE LINE! August Priske has the goal gaping in front of him, but he heads at Wrexham’s Ollie Rathbone.
• 13: GOAL! Alex Cochrane sends an inswinging corner to the far post, where Phil Neumann heads over the line from close range.
• 23: HUGE MISS! Carlos Vicente chops the ball to Jay Stansfield on his right after an overload, but the forward blasts over the bar.
• 37: SAVE! Wrexham’s best chance of the first half. Danny Imray drives in from the right, with his deflected shot well saved by a diving James Beadle.
• 54: GOAL! Lewis O’Brien’s brilliant cross dips perfectly for Callum Doyle to equalise.
• 63: GOAL! Priske recycles a clearance and finds Neumann, who glances in his second of the night.
• 77: SO CLOSE! Let-off for Birmingham. Kieffer Moore’s header is not held by James Beadle and only some brave defending from Christoph Klarer prevents a killer Wrexham connection.

Parkinson bemoans “softest two goals conceded in all my time at Wrexham”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson speaking on Sky Sports:

“The two goals we conceded are two of the softest goals we’ve conceded in all my time here – and that includes being in the National League. You can’t concede goals like that and expect to win a game of football.

“You’ve got to defend the box – it’s as simple as that – in any division, but particularly the Championship we’ve got to defend our box better, head the ball out, defend set-plays.

“I thought we lacked conviction in our play tonight in the first half, I’ve got to be honest. Second half, I thought we were better, got the goal back, and that’s why I’m so annoyed with the second goal because we’d started really well, got back in the game.

“We almost looked like a team of everyone looking around the pitch for someone else to go and make it happen, rather than taking responsibility as individuals.

“In football, you can’t feel sorry for yourself and I felt we looked like that tonight for some reason. You cannot feel sorry for yourself because no one else is going to help you, you can only help yourself. We’ve got to look long and hard at ourselves and come out fighting at Millwall.”

Davies: We looked like a team

Birmingham manager Chris Davies speaking on Sky Sports:

“It was a really good night for us. I thought we started the game really well, just like you want to away from home. We got on the front foot, had some moments we could’ve been maybe a couple of goals up at half-time, so I was really pleased with that.

“I think we looked like a team, that’s the main thing. We looked like a real team, and we had to be to come to a place like Wrexham and play a really solid, really good side, especially at home. It’s a big, big win.”

Do Wrexham need to sign more players before Deadline Day?

Jobi McAnuff on Sky Sports Football:

“They possibly need a more dominant centre-half, which is something they had during that run through the leagues they had.

“Looking at tonight [2-1 defeat to Birmingham] sometimes it takes a performance or scenarios like this to maybe jog the hierarchy.

“One thing I’m sure Phil Parkinson will say is that he’s been backed to the hilt by that ownership group in terms of what he feels he needs to move the club on.

“I’m sure they will feel there’s enough there, but I’m sure with Phil, questions will be getting asked in the next few days.”

What the result means and next fixtures…

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Jamie Redknapp hailed Rayan Cherki as a genius after he scored twice to inspire Manchester City to a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Erling Haaland started and finished the scoring, but it was Rayan Cherki’s two goals early in the second half that took the game away from Palace. His first was magnificent, dancing between the Palace defenders before poking the ball home.

“Rayan Cherki painted a masterpiece,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.

“It was an incredible goal. He felt like the difference because the goals came at such an important time. He had such an amazing effect on the game.

“He is a genius the things that he can do with a football are just incredible.”

“There is that balance and poise. When I was watching it, the first thing that comes to my mind is that there are not many Premier League players who can do this.

“In such close proximity, having the ball under such control and then still having such audacity to shift it to his left and just gets it into the corner.

“I think Eden Hazard, possibly, could have done that. He was that type of player, the low centre of gravity and then to somehow smuggle the ball away into the corner.

“[Georgi] Kinkladze, Manchester City fans of another generation will remember him. He could get past people in a telephone box and this is very similar.

“But Cherki is a beautiful player.

“We have been talking about where he fits in because Enzo Maresca does like structure. We were talking to Elliot Anderson who was saying he has to learn to stay in his position.

“But with someone like Cherki you have to accept his freedom – and he is a maverick kind of talent – you have to let him do his thing.

“He said in the first half he was not very good but in the second half he just completely changed the game with a moment of genius.”

Speaking even before the game, Redknapp has said: “Managers now want structure, they do not like players who are a bit loose out of possession. But I go to football matches to watch people like [Cherki] play.

“That is what makes me smile. I don’t like watching players pass it sideways, that is not why I go to football. I go to watch geniuses do their work.

“Some managers won’t appreciate it. But last week he got his manager out of a hole because without him they would not have won that game.”

That was a reference to Cherki’s two assists after coming off the bench to turn the game around in City’s first Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth.

Redknapp believes Maresca must trust in Cherki’s talent.

“If there was one criticism of his time at Chelsea it was getting Cole Palmer on the ball enough. I know he had some injuries but it was finding him in the right positions.

“With players like Cherki, you have to give them freedom. You cannot say to them go and stand on the wing and we will get you the ball and then you can come alive.

“There will be games when, if they sign Enzo Fernandez, we will see him, [Ayyoub] Bouaddi and Elliot Anderson in midfield, and he might go a little bit more belt and braces.

“But there will also be games like tonight when it is a little tight and it goes to 2-1, that is when you need players like Cherki who can just go and create. Certainly, if you ask Erling Haaland, he finds you with those passes.”

Is there anything Cherki can do differently?

Redknapp just wants to see him try more not less.

“I personally feel because he is so good at dribbling in tight areas he should do it more because as soon as he arrives in the box, defenders are so scared to touch him.

“He can go on his left or his right foot. Some players you know automatically they want to go on their right side when you play against them. With him you would have no clue how to stop him.

“When he plays against Gabriel [for his goal against Arsenal last season], he drops the shoulder and goes inside. There, he goes to his right side. It is so easy for him. The ball seems to be on a string for him.”

Maresca’s verdict on Cherki

Man City boss Enzo Maresca speaking about Rayan Cherki:

“His performance for me was very good, not because of the two goals but the way he worked off the ball. He had to press, he was in charge when Palace had the ball, he was in charge of [Adam] Wharton and I think his game was a complete game on the ball and off the ball.

“First of all, he loves football so it’s much easier to work with him. And then it’s Rayan, Rayan is like this. We know how good he is, we know the quality that he has.

“In this moment he’s helping the team also with the numbers in terms of assists and goals and no doubt that he’s going to help the team more in the future.”