Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from this mid-table Premier League clash between city rivals Aston Villa and Birmingham at Villa Park

The referee finally calls time in this interminable draw and both sides will take a point which is pretty much all they deserve in all honesty

Bannann brings down Jerome, handing Birmingham their best chance in ages as they enjoy a free kick in the centre of the park. But Zigic's header goes well past the left post and still the two sides are looking for a goal

Young works his way into the box from the right as Ridgewell backs off and unleashes a powerful shot towards the top right hand corner. But it was a tough angle and came off the upright to go behind for a goal kick

Villa, unfairly, look the more likely to score now as Carew heads on for Clark at the penalty spot. Foster just gets there first to punch the ball away and he catches Clark in the follow-through leaving the Villa midfielder with a bloody nose, albeit accidentally

A cheer goes up from the Villa fans as Carew is brought on in place of Reo-Coker, Houllier obviously deciding his skipper is sailing periously close to a red card as his frustration increases

Bannan flings a rasping shot towards the left hand post from around 25 yards out. But Foster had plenty of time to see the ball and make no mistake as he parries it away before it is cleared

Frustrations are beginning to get the better of some of the players as Reo-Coker is involved in another brawl, this time with Ferguson. It's something and nothing really as Reo-Coker goes to ground and then tries to win back the ball whilst still down. Ferguson takes exception to it though and other players get involved before Reo-Coker is shown a yellow

Jerome runs after a high ball lobbed upfield but Friedel comes forward to collect in a slide towards the ball and the substitute fails to get a touch to the ball

Cameron Jerome comes on for Hleb, another player who ahs been largely annonymous apart from winning that free kick just before the interval that resulted in the best chance of the day

A SPOT OF EXCITEMENT! FINALLY! Young races down the right wing before lofting a high cross over towards the far post. It should be easy for Foster to gather but somehow he makes a mess of it under a little pressure from Reo-Coker and drops the ball. Luckily for Birmingham, Johnson is there to clear but Foster has looked incredibly dodgy today, if only Villa could have got the ball in the box more frequently!

When play finally gets back underway, Larsson finds Zigic to the right of the penalty spot. But again the final shot is a poor one and the striker's header is straight into the waiting hands of Friedel

There's a long delay as Johnsson receives treatment to his right shin before being helped off the pitch by medical staff. He's not even walking with a limp and its no wonder Villa fans are getting frustrated by the break - there was no need for that treatment to be conducted on the pitch whatsoever

The first substitution of the match sees Barry Bannan brought on for Steve Sidwell in midfield. The former Reading man has been largely annonymous today and has contributed little to the match

Heskey's famed striking ability comes to the fore again as he misses a easy header from the penalty area. The former England striker should have at least forced a save from Foster and yet he sent the ball wide of the right post

Clearly as sick of this toothless play as the rest of us, Reo-Coker decides to try his luck from a long way out, slamming the ball angrily goal-wards. And it almost pays off as well when Foster fails to safely collect the ball first time around and has to scramble around on the floor to collect it as it bounces off his chest

Gardiner tries a long-range solo attempt, from around 35 yards out, but his shot is low and heading a little wide and Friedel has little trouble in diving on the the ball to secure a goal kick

Pretty much the biggest cheer of the afternoon has just occured as a fan attempts a header and falls over the hoardings in the process. He is escorted out of the stadium as a result but at least that was a spot of action for the fans to enjoy!

Fahey makes a solid start to the half for Birmingham as he steps inside and fires a long ball goalward from right to left. But there isn't that much power behind the shot in the end and Friedel is able to easily collect

Birmingham get the second half underway as they look to continue the pressure they built-up again towards the end of the first half

Larsson's corner is punched away by Friedel and that'll be that for a first half which, apart from a couple of chances an either end, has been surprisingly low key