Wanderers did well up to a point over 90 minutes and can justifiably point to Gardner's wrongful dismissal as a watershed moment writes Neil Bonnar

But schoolboy defending and errors which handed Birmingham all three goals will cost them dear no matter how many players they have on the pitch.

Sort that out and the next job is to put a little devil into the strikers who are misfiring badly at present.

There is always hope and three points against West Brom on Saturday will see them off the bottom and send optimism soaring once again.

The ability is certainly there to achieve it. In Jay Jay Okocha they have a rare talent and constant threat on goal and no team can afford to lose concentration with him and Youri Djorkaeff in the same team.

Bernard Mendy is also proving to be a major asset. His pace and direct running down the right was again a dangerous weapon in Wanderers' armoury but what should be their greatest threat still needs to create an impact.

Ricketts was played out of the game and there was no danger coming from the front line until that late turn and shot from Holdsworth.