Birmingham City declined the invitation to establish a six-point buffer from the Coca-Cola Championship’s chasing pack as Clinton Morrison, their former striker, returned to St Andrew’s to score his third goal in the past three matches for Coventry. Alex McLeish decried his team’s lack of killer instinct in losing for the second successive game, but the Birmingham manager deserves credit for the manner in which he refused to blame the match officials for this defeat.

After Keiren Westwood made magnificent saves from Liam Ridgewell and Radhi Jaidi to protect the lead, a corner from James McFadden seven minutes from time came off three Birmingham players before the Coventry goalkeeper, signed from Carlisle United for £400,000 in the summer, clawed the ball back from the last millimetres of the goalline. Neither Tony Bates, the referee, nor his assistant could be certain whether the whole ball had crossed.

“I didn’t see it,” McLeish said. “It’s difficult to judge. Like everyone else, I claimed it when my players were throwing their arms up. But I looked to the assistant and saw he had an obscured view and the referee didn’t have a clear view, either. If they’ve not seen it cross the line, they can’t make it up. We take it on the chin and get on with the next game.”

Birmingham remain in second place, four points adrift of Wolverhampton Wanderers, but it is disconcerting that a team with such an array of attacking talent have scored only one more goal than Coventry, who started the night eighteenth in the table. Garry O’Connor had just struck a vein of goalscoring form when he ripped a groin immediately before last Tuesday’s defeat away to Queens Park Rangers and none of Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome, Marcus Bent and McFadden offer the same inventive movement in the final third.

“It’s not just about the attacking players,” McLeish said. “It’s about getting the right delivery to them.” It was always Morrison who looked most likely to break the deadest of deadlocks. The former Crystal Palace striker, who cost £4.25 million when signed to lead Birmingham’s first foray into the Barclays Premier League six years ago, was afforded a generous reception by the home supporters, who perhaps remembered his willingness to chase lost causes better than his modest goal record. When Jay Tabb laid the ball back, Morrison crashed his shot against the crossbar and then, shortly before half-time, was involved in a wrestling contest with Ridgewell that could easily have resulted in a penalty.

Morrison was not to be denied, however. Eight minutes after the resumption, as the talented Guillaume Beuzelin flicked on Daniel Fox’s corner, the forward, who endeared himself to the St Andrew’s faithful by scoring in the first derby with Aston Villa for 16 years back in his early days with the club, nodded home from close range. He celebrated bashfully in front of the Tilton Road End.

As Birmingham increased their urgency, they left gaps at the back and, from one sweet counter-attack, Tabb blasted over from 12 yards. Birmingham sensed there was still a result to be salvaged and Jaidi powered in a header that Westwood somehow tipped against the crossbar. And when Ridgewell flicked a near-post corner goalwards and Lee Carsley then Franck Queudrue touched the ball on, Westwood collected the ball as it all but crossed the line. No wonder he kissed it when no goal was given.

Birmingham City (4-4-2): M Taylor — N Hunt, R Jaidi, L Ridgewell, F Queudrue — S Larsson, L Carsley, K Agustien (sub: N Quashie, 60min), C Jerome (sub: Q Owusu-Abeyie, 71) — K Phillips (sub: M Bent, 65), J McFadden. Substitutes not used: C Doyle, M Taylor.

Coventry City (4-4-2): K Westwood — I Osbourne, D Fox, E Ward, S Dann — M Mifsud, G Beuzelin, A Gunnarsson, J Tabb (sub: M Hall, 89) — L Best (sub: R Simpson, 86), C Morrison (sub: F Eastwood, 81). Substitutes not used: A Marshall, M Doyle. Booked: Dann, Tabb.

Referee: A Bates.