KRISTIAN SOLDIERS ONWARDS

DANISH defender Kristian Pedersen is relieved Birmingham stuck by him... just when it looked like the Football League might pull the plug on his English dream.

Pedersen (above) became Garry Monk’s first signing at the end of June but the £2million move from German side Union Berlin was then blocked by the EFL as Blues had already breached Financial Fair Play rules.

The transfer was ratified only after intense negotiation ahead of the new season and Pedersen hasn’t looked back.

“I’ve played every game since and I’ve loved it so far,” he said.

“The squad is like a family. That’s a huge part of why I have settled so quickly. You can see that we fight for each other.”

Pedersen was honest enough to admit that winless Birmingham were well below par against a resolute QPR.

“This was the first game we maybe didn’t play quite so well,” he said. “In the last couple of matches we have been playing very well and it is only a matter of time before we get some luck and get some wins.”

QPR could have snatched it at the death when Matt Smith’s point-blank header hit the post and Joel Lynch’s follow-up was blocked by Lee Camp.

Rangers registered consecutive clean sheets for the first time in two years and boss Steve McClaren said: “It’s been a good week but now we have to work on the training field, we have to be hard to beat and put chances away. We need to turn one point into three.

“The main thing is attitide and fight — that’s the minimum the fans expect.”

BIRMINGHAM: Camp 7, Colin 5 (Harding 59, 6), Morrison 7, Pedersen 6, Dean 6, Kieftenbeld 5, G Gardner 6, Jota 5, Maghoma 6, Jutkiewicz 6 (Bogle 86), Adams 5 (SolomonOtabor 68, 5)

QPR: Lumley 6, Rangel 6, Leistner 8, Lynch 7, Bidwell 6, Eze 6, Luongo 6, Cousins 5, Freeman 7, Hemed 6 (Cameron 89), Wells 6 (Smith 85). MOTM TONI LEISTNER (QPR)