Play-off hopefuls Birmingham held to goalless draw at WolvesBirmingham's play-off hopes suffered a fresh setback as they were held to a 0-0 Sky Bet Championship draw by Wolves at Molineux.The stalemate left the Blues four points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, albeit with a game in hand.It also continued their recent poor run on the roadThey have now won just one of their last 11 away games - and have failed to score in their last five matches away from St Andrew's.They should have ended that poor run at Wolves as Jon Toral wasted the best chance of the game in the 79th minute.Wolves, who had been chasing a third straight home win, had chances to take charge of affairs before a late Birmingham surge, but lacked a cutting edge
They have now won just twice in 11 games.The hosts made a fast start in their bid to make an early breakthrough.Nathan Byrne saw his curling second-minute shot flash the wrong side of the post before Conor Coady twice forced Birmingham goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak into action.Coady's fifth-minute header from Jeremy Helan's corner was comfortably saved by the former Wolves goalkeeper.But Kuszczak had to work harder seven minutes later when he dived full length to hold on to Coady's deflected drive from 20 yards following a pass from George Saville.It took Birmingham some time to emerge from their shell but when they did City twice threatened within the space of 60 seconds.David Cotterill forced Birmingham's first corner when his shot was deflected wide in the 28th minute before another Wolves old boy, David Davis, tried his luck from distance only to see his effort dip over the bar.It proved to be only a brief flourish from Birmingham and it was Wolves who continued to press, only to again be denied by Kuszczak.He was well placed at his near post four minutes before half-time to pluck out a close range header from George Saville after Byrne had whipped in a right-wing cross.That was Byrne's last action as he was replaced at half-time by Michal Zyro, whose impact was instantaneous when he flashed a shot wide just 20 seconds after the interval.The failure of Wolves to take their opportunities could have proved to be costly when Birmingham launched a swift counter-attack in the 59th minute through substitute Jacques Maghoma.Maghoma homed in on a goal and only a desperate last-minute challenge from Coady denied him.But that did serve to invigorate Birmingham and inspired them to their best spell of the match.Winger Cotterill was just off target before Clayton Donaldson squandered a golden chance when he dragged his 72nd-minute shot across the face of goal following neat work by Toral.Toral was then let down by his finishing when he somehow missed the target from eight yards after a ball from Stephen Gleeson had found its way to him.Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme frustrated Davis with a smart 82nd-minute stop before Donaldson flashed a shot wide as Birmingham finished strongly but all to no avail
Source : PA
Source: PA