Wolves 0-0 Birmingham: Visitors missed gilt-edged chances in derby

Birmingham's play-off hopes suffered a fresh setback as they were held to a 0-0 Championship draw by local rivals Wolves at Molineux.

Wolves, who had been chasing a third straight home win, had chances to take charge of affairs before a late Birmingham surge but Jon Toral wasted the best chance of the game in the 79th minute and stalemate ensued.

Blues - who have triumphed in only of their last 11 on the road - are now four points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, albeit with a game in hand, while Wolves have won just twice in 11 games.

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The hosts made a fast start in their bid to make an early breakthrough, Nathan Byrne seeing his curling second-minute shot flash the wrong side of the post before Conor Coady twice forced Birmingham goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak into action.

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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.

Kuszczak 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.

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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, who homed in on a goal and was denied only a desperate last-minute challenge from Coady.

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 stunning 82nd-minute stop before Donaldson flashed a shot wide as Birmingham finished strongly but all to no avail.