BIRMINGHAM City handed Wanderers a point but they wouldn't give them any credit, writes Neil Bonnar.

To listen to the home camp you would have thought Wanderers played no part in earning themselves a point.

True, goalkeeper Ian Bennett would have been singing the Blues all night after horribly misjudging a huge clearance which bounced over him and left Michael Ricketts staring at an open goal.

But when you go to the third place team and end a run of seven straight home victories you must have done something right.

Birmingham thought Wanderers were just lucky but it is unfair on Sam Allardyce's men to underestimate the part they played in taming the St Andrews winning machine.

It takes brains and bottle to change formation and successfully carry out a game plan designed for the day.

Wanderers showed plenty of both. Playing with four at the back, three in the middle of midfield, two out wide doing as much work in defence as in attack and one lonely looking front man giving as good as he got against two beefy defenders, they produced a performance to be proud of.

Mark Fish didn't stamp his authority on the home strikers as he usually does and he paid the price when Sam Allardyce made a straight swap for Paul Warhurst 11 minutes into the second half.

Apart from this one worrying aspect there was plenty to give heart as Wanderers took their mini unbeaten run to three games.

Wanderers were happy to sit back and invite Birmingham to come at them while always threatening on the break through the devastating pace and skill of Ricardo Gardner coming from deep and Michael Ricketts when the ball was played towards the danger area.

Ricketts was the star. Allardyce said recently that Dean Holdsworth was the only striker who could plough a lone furrow up front. Ricketts proved on Saturday that he, too, can do the job even in the face of trying circumstances such as a bruising defence and an intimidating atmosphere.

None of it fazed the 21-year-old whose goals and performances must be making the bigger clubs sit up and take notice of a shining talent.

His pace caused panic time and time again, right from the second minute - when he skinned his man on the right and whipped in a wicked cross which Darren Purse did well to clear for a corner - until the 85th minute when he challenged two defenders to a race on to Gardner's super slide rule pass and won it only for David Holdsworth to rescue his side with an excellently timed tackle.

In between he went agonisingly close to putting Wanderers ahead when he got to Bo Hansen's 25th minute cross but got underneath his first header and then when the ball dropped he was the only one to move in a static goalmouth but planted his headed just wide with Bennett rooted to the spot.

The Birmingham lad's moment of glory on the ground where he used to cheer on the Blues came when he chased what looked like a lost cause until Bennett was completely caught out by the bounce of a long clearance and the striker was left with an open goal, a tough angle and defenders racing back.

It was too easy for the man with the Midas touch in front of goal as he confidently slotted home the 66th minute chance and then stood with his back to Birmingham's popular end pointing both index fingers to the name of the man who used to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

There was no stopping him now as he wanted more of the same and he almost got it when he broke the offside trap and homed in on Bennett. Possibly thinking he had more time than he did he was slightly tentative and allowed Purse to get back and make a match-saving tackle as Ricketts tried to cut inside on to his right foot.

A victory for Wanderers, albeit possible, would have been cruel on Birmingham who went forward with pace - and in Stan Lazaridis' case real devastating skill - and looked the more likely winners.

Despite their incessant pressing forward they only rarely caused Wanderers heart-stopping moments, when Jussi Jaaskelainen saved at Mark Burchill's feet before the on-loan Celtic striker headed against the bar from Dele Adebola's shot a second later and then when Lazaridis weaved his way through the Wanderers defence and pulled his shot inches wide.

Their frustrations up front were testament to outstanding defending and a refusal to buckle by battling Bolton who set about the task manfully.

Gudni Bergsson was a rock at the heart of the back line with Robbie Elliott and John O'Kane willing and able to handle the danger down the flanks.

When Birmingham came at them Wanderers hunted in packs to close them down and only Lazaridis - and occasionally Mark Burchill - troubled them.

The midfield scrap meant Per Frandsen, Gareth Farrelly and Kevin Nolan had no chance to look good but they all worked tirelessly for the cause as did Bo Hansen on the right, although the defensive side of the job obviously does not agree with the Danish striker.

On the opposive flank Gardner proved yet again that he is a man you want in the trenches with you. No job too small or too daunting he breaks the mould of the typical winger in that he relishes a battle and has the mental and physical toughness to win it.

He also knows exactly when to switch from the mindset of a defender to an attacker and proved repeatedly he has the slippery skills and devastating speed to leave a string of defenders in a daze.

Paul Warhurst looked like he had never been away when he came on for the last 35 minutes alongside Bergsson in his first game of any description for 10 weeks and Isaiah Rankin was in overdrive as he finished his three-month loan with a high octane show as a 50th minute replacement for Hansen.

It wasn't pretty but the ends justified the means and while Birmingham bemoaned their ill fortune Wanderers can hold their heads high and say they made their own luck.