Ramsay’s West Brom digs deep for derby point at St. Andrew’s

Eric Ramsay and West Bromwich Albion secured a hard-fought point in the West Midlands derby on Tuesday night, playing out a tense 0–0 draw against Birmingham City at St. Andrew's. The former Minnesota United assistant manager, still searching for his first win since taking the reins at the Hawthorns, saw his side produce a gritty defensive display to frustrate their play-off chasing rivals.

Match recap

In a game where clear-cut chances were at a premium for the visitors, West Brom relied on resilience and a slice of luck to keep the clean sheet intact. Birmingham City dominated the opening exchanges, with Paik Seung-ho seeing a header cleared off the line by Callum Styles in the 15th minute—a moment that sparked controversy as home fans claimed a handball.

Goalkeeper Max O'Leary was the hero for Ramsay’s side, producing key saves to deny efforts from Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ibrahim Osman. The drama peaked in stoppage time when Birmingham’s August Priske had a goal ruled out for an infringement on the goalkeeper, sparing West Brom from a heartbreaking late defeat. The Baggies almost snatched an undeserved winner themselves in the dying seconds, but substitute Carlos Vicente’s strike rattled the post.

Ramsay’s tactical view

While the attack remains a work in progress, Ramsay was quick to praise the defensive "courage" his team showed in a hostile environment.

• The context: This was West Brom’s second consecutive 0–0 draw, a result that inches them two points clear of the relegation zone but leaves Ramsay still waiting for his maiden victory.
• The quote: "I'm immensely proud of that performance tonight... It wasn't spectacular, but that was a really solid 90 minutes of going toe-to-toe with a team which is in very good form," Ramsay said post-match.
• The bigger picture: Ramsay described the current situation as "building a house in a hurricane," emphasizing the need to find stability and solutions quickly as the relegation fight intensifies.

Up next

Ramsay will look to turn these solid defensive foundations into three points when West Brom returns to action this weekend. They face another crucial test in their battle for survival, likely in the FA Cup or league play depending on the fixture list.