BIRMINGHAM ......................................................... 0 United draw blank but stay on course for top-two spot
NEWCASTLE United were held to a frustrating stalemate at St Andrew’s - but still remain on course for automatic promotion.
The Magpies were denied by some excellent saves from Tomasz Kuszczak and had a first-half goal disallowed from Matt Ritchie for a tight offside call.
But they were unable to find a way past Birmingham’s suffocating tac- tics against a Blues side that had just one shot on target all afternoon.
Birmingham started the game looking to absorb the pressure with a five-man defensive rearguard.
The ploy worked effectively but Newcastle still had their chances to win it.
On nine minutes Paul Dummett got free down the left-hand side and picked out Yoan Gouffran.
But his effort struck the shins of a Birmingham defender before the move broke down.
On 16 minutes, Newcastle were grateful to Dummett when he blocked Emilio Nsue’s effort before Gouffran then blocked Craig Gardner’s follow-up.
It was a rare chance for the home side.
The Magpies then won a corner on the left-hand side but Ritchie’s corner to the back post for Daryl Murphy was headed just wide by the Irishman.
Birmingham had a great chance on 27 minutes when Gardner crossed for Lukas Jutkiewicz at the back post but he fired the ball into the side netting.
On the half-hour mark, a long throw from the left resulted in Ryan Shotton heading at goal but Newcastle frantically cleared and survived a goalmouth scramble.
On 36 minutes United won a freekick when Dummett slipped in Ayoze Perez.
However, the Spaniard was tripped and Newcastle were awarded a free-kick just outside the box.
Perez, though, curled it high over the bar with Birmingham goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak untroubled.
Two minutes later Ritchie latched onto a long ball and started to round the goalkeeper but Shotton hacked