Half-time: Birmingham City 0 Bristol City 0. As expected, City boss Gary Johnson reverted to the starting line-up and formation which enjoyed such success at Reading 10 days earlier, dropping Nicky Maynard to the bench, recalling Ivan Sproule to the right wing and deploying Gavin Williams in a withdrawn role behind lone striker Dele Adebola.

Hit by a raft of injuries, the Blues were at least able to call upon midfielders Lee Bowyer and Sebastian Larsson, both available after serving a one-match suspension.

A weakened home defence certainly appeared ill at ease during the opening exchanges and Adebola was afforded a wonderful opportunity to put the Robins ahead in only the third minute.

Michael McIndoe threaded a perfectly-weighted throughball into the big striker's path, beating the offside trap and presenting Adebola with a clear run on goal. Unfortunately for City, their nine-goal top scorer sent his left-footed shot inches the wrong side of an upright with keeper Maik Taylor beaten.

Without a win in their last three outings and out of the top two for the first time in weeks, Birmingham responded in positive fashion and Adriano Basso had to be at his athletic best to tip over Bowyer's thunderous drive from 15 yards.

The Brazilian again proved equal to the task when saving Stephen Carr's long-range effort at the second attempt moments later.

Although the visitors were enjoying an equal share of possession, Birmingham carried the greater threat in the final third and centre-back Radhi Jaidi almost put them in front on 20 minutes, his towering header coming back off the underside of the cross bar and requiring Jamie McAllister to affect a last-ditch goal-line clearance.

That near-miss sparked a period of sustained pressure from the Midlanders and City, unable to retain the ball, were forced to defend a series of corners against opponents who boasted a clear height advantage at set-pieces.

When the visitors finally lifted the siege and launched a swift counter-attack of their own, Adebola and McIndoe combined to set-up Cole Skuse for a low shot which Taylor gathered despite being denied a clear sight of the ball until the last moment.

But the momentum was with the Blues and it was a case of all hands to the pump for City as they again came under the cosh, Basso having to make a smart save to keep out Keith Fahey's bullet header at the back post.