SHAY Given was spot on as the Blues chalked up their first goalless draw in 54 league matches.

The Irish stopper enhanced his reputation as Mark Hughes' best signing with a terrific display, culminating in a penalty save which ensured the Blues picked up a point from a dour encounter.

But the euphoria surrounding the goalkeeper's excellence has soon subsided into more concerns over the efficacy of the City defence.

It would be unfair to single out the back four, as the ten outfield players all seemed to have been affected as the chills of autumn seeped into bone and sinew. The midfield was tardy and on the back foot too often, and the new-look strike-force of Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz was not working on the same wavelength.

The result was a draw, just at a time when City need to be grinding the noses of Liverpool, Spurs and Villa into the November mud.

The Blues creep, slightly embarrassed, into fourth place after getting a point, but they really needed to be garnering more.

A few weeks ago, this period of four league games - with trips to Wigan and Birmingham, and home games against Fulham and Burnley - were pencilled in as possible 12 points, a chance to pile the pressure on the Premier League pace-setters.

With just Burnley to come, the Blues have racked up three points.

That run of 54 matches without a goalless draw was one of the longest in top-flight history, which speaks volumes for City's position as one of the game's great entertainers - always likely to score, and to concede.

The last time they drew 0-0 was in March 2008, at Bolton. Indeed, the last time they failed to score in a match was on May 10, at Old Trafford. But in the end the Blues had to be glad of a fourth successive draw as Given pulled off a penalty save to cap a remarkable display.

The first-half had been as frantic and feisty as the weather, and Birmingham began it like a gale-force wind.

Given skill

Buoyed by the takeover by Chinese millionaire Carson Yeung and by last week's win over Sunderland, the home side were intent on showing the Blues that they were the nouveaux riche.

And had it not been for the indomitable Given, the Blues could easily have been on the wrong end of an embarrassing half-time scoreline.

The home side was winning the midfield battle with Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry - booed at every touch for his long-time service to Aston Villa - strangely off-key.

Chucho Benitez was first to capitalise, seizing on a loose ball and firing in a shot which took a wicked deflection off Vincent Kompany. Given had to adjust his feet quickly, and then hurled himself to his left to tip the ball onto the post.

Two minutes later, Wayne Bridge dillied, Kompany dallied and once more Chucho was on the ball in a flash, only to find that Given had read the situation and raced out to block.

At the other end Wright-Phillips was beginning to torment Liam Ridgewell down the City right and he snapped in a shot which bounced up into Maik Taylor's chest, with no City player following in.

Then Wright-Phillips made another storming run down the flank, squaring for Tevez who in turn teed up Bellamy.

His shot was deflected wide as City began to press hard. City fans were not content - they could see a lack of invention in the Blues midfield and began to sing for Stevie Ireland.

Tevez was lighting up a dull afternoon with the odd flash of quality, never more so than when he slid a gorgeous pass inside Ridgewell for Wright-Phillips, whose cross found Santa Cruz, only for the keeper to save at the striker's feet.

But the Brummies rallied and just before half-time Given produced his best save of an excellent first-half collection.

Again, shambolic defending led to the chance as Joleon Lescott failed to clear his lines and Seb Larsson's shot had Given soaring to claw the ball away and then up like lightning to grab it before two opponents could knock home the rebound.

But the best of all came in the second-half, Nigel de Jong flung a hand high above his head and Larsson's header cannoned into it for a clear penalty.

James McFadden aimed it to the keeper's left, but in this mood he was refusing to be beaten and went full length to beat the spot kick away.

Hughes heeded the cry of the City fans by bringing on Ireland with half-an-hour to go, but Birmingham tails were up and he had little impact.

City huffed and puffed in the closing stages to try to salvage an undeserved win but Tevez's shot was well saved by Taylor.

The end of a dull affair saw the dismissal of Barry Ferguson for a second yellow card, throwing his hand up to prevent Pablo Zabaleta taking a throw-in.

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