Birmingham held by struggling West Brom

Birmingham missed the chance to move into the Sky Bet Championship play-offs places after they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Brom in the West Midlands derby.

New West Brom boss Eric Ramsay remains winless but claimed a second successive draw and clean sheet to help his side move two points above the relegation places.

West Brom had lost 11 of their last 12 league games on the road and faced the daunting task of trying to get something from a Birmingham side who had the fourth best home record coming into the fixture, but managed to claim an important point in their fight for survival.

Birmingham felt hard done by that they were not awarded a penalty when Paik Seung-Ho saw his goalbound header blocked on the line by the arm of Callum Styles in an evenly contested first period.

The hosts banged on the door to get the all-important opener but were denied on the line for a second time when Charlie Taylor kept out Ibrahim Osman’s effort, before August Priske’s stoppage-time header was cancelled out for offside and Carlos Vicente hit the post.

West Brom have yet to score first in any match under the new leadership of Ramsay and Jed Wallace tried to break that record with an effort from outside the box which was collected by James Beadle.

The hosts came within centimetres of hitting the front when Paik peeled round the back to get his head on a corner but saw his header stopped accidentally on the line by the hand of Styles.

Blues appealed for a penalty and alerted referee Adam Herczeg that it hit the hand of Styles but their protests were waved away.

Birmingham were troubling West Brom from set-pieces and Tommy Doyle’s delivery from a free-kick found Osman who was denied by by Max O’Leary.

The Baggies, though, were not playing like a team without a win this year and they were denied an opener as Birmingham got bodies in the way of a trio of shots in quick succession from Jayson Molumby, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba and Alex Mowatt, with Doyle throwing himself in front of the latter’s effort.

In the second period, Birmingham saw a second chance cleared off the line. New signing Vicente’s cross fell to Osman at the back post who thought his first-time finish was going in but Taylor got back in the nick of time.

The home side were beginning to put their neighbours under the pump but could not make the breakthrough. Marvin Ducksch took aim from the edge of the box but O’Leary tipped it behind.

Birmingham thought they had nicked all three points at the death when Priske jumped highest to nod in Kai Wagner’s corner but the linesman’s offside flag cut the celebrations short, much to the frustration of the hosts’ players.

There was still time for Birmingham to come forward and this time Vicente was denied by the post as the hosts had to settle for a point following a frantic end.