Phil Neumann's own goal denied Birmingham City all three points as their growing Championship play-off hopes were dented against rivals Stoke City at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

The German defender was unwittingly hit by Aaron Cresswell's delivery from a corner kick to level the scores after Tomoki Iwata had headed the Blues into a first-half lead.

Stoke boss Mark Robins had described his squad's injury troubles as the worst of his 19-year managerial career, and it was revealed before kick-off that captain Ben Wilmot had made it 11 senior players on that list with a "small" problem which prevented him from playing.

Robins' side battled back to deny the home side what looked like being their third win in their past four league games, although Stoke have won just two of their past eight and are now down in 10th place.

Birmingham have been heading in the opposite direction, and even though they extended their record of scoring at home to 15 games, their best run since 1970, the point means their upward trajectory stalled with the Blues in 13th.

The Potters had four forwards unavailable but looked the more likely team to score in an enterprising first half, when they went close three times in the space of 90 seconds.

Firstly, Million Manhoef forced James Beadle into a sharp save to his left with a snap shot, then Tomas Rigo's volley bounced up against the crossbar, before Tatsuki Seko skimmed a 20-yard shot past the Birmingham post.

That prodded Chris Davies' side, who handed a debut to Ghana winger Ibrahim Osman, into action with Tommy Doyle's free-kick from out wide crashing against the angle of bar and post, and then Jay Stansfield had a shot well saved by 21-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Simkin.

Doyle's looping corner kick to the far post helped break the deadlock, as Stansfield headed the ball back across goal and Iwata nodded home from close range.

Simkin, called into action after emergency loan signing Gavin Bazunu was injured after one appearance, then denied Osman a debut goal with another important save to keep it 1-0 at half-time.

Birmingham sought to finish the match off as Stansfield's close-range shot was blocked, and then Davies threw on 6ft 5in striker August Priske and Colombian midfielder Jhon Solis for their home debuts.

It was Stoke who finished the stronger however as Cresswell's inswinging corner kick was attacked by stand-in captain Steven Nzonzi and the ball bounced off an unsighted Neumann and into his own net.

An almost identical corner kick almost won it for the visitors late in the game, this time Nzonzi's glancing header skimmed the roof of the net.

Birmingham manager Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:

"It was a hard-fought match. We didn't start the game as sharply as we normally do but Stoke came into it quite well and we were losing a lot of balls in midfield.

"We grew a bit into the game, scored a good goal from a set-piece, and from that moment on we needed that second goal. We had some jaded legs, possibly after three games in a week, and needed that second goal to be in a strong position to get three points.

"We didn't. The game was still alive and [they scored] a really soft goal which we're frustrated about. If anyone was going to win it, it was going to be us, but it wasn't to be.

[On the goal] "It was pleasing because we don't have a lot of time to work [on set-pieces] but the timing, the movement, it was a really good goal, and a worked routine off a set-piece can open a game up for you in a tight game like that.

"They were trying their best but we weren't quite as fluent. The subs improved us and nearly got our winning goal."

Stoke City manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"It was an important performance because we are [down to the] bare bones and everyone knows it and sees it, but the packed-out away end was phenomenal and backed us all the way.

"The players really appreciate that. I thought we were the better team in the first half and created some decent openings that we usually don't take anyway.

"We've got 12 players out and the majority of those are first-team starters, or have been, so to put in a performance like that was really pleasing.

"[Birmingham] have been good at home this year and we gave as good as we got, could have taken some chances, and had chances to create shooting opportunities which we turned down - that's the only criticism, I want them to shoot, have a go.

"We conceded a really poor goal, but the response was emphatic, a brilliant delivery from Cressy."