Even as he hobbled forlornly from the pitch, his right ankle mangled after an aerial battle with Adam Rooney, Roger Johnson was jeered by swathes of the crowd. Evidently there is little sympathy in these parts for those who decamped in the wake of Birmingham's relegation last May, even for those who contributed so considerably to the club's League Cup success.

The Wolves captain lasted 33 minutes of a pallid contest and, despite his protestation before kick-off that he did not ask to leave the club, there were few City supporters who were sad to see him depart for a second time. Johnson and City will meet again for a replay on 17 January after the Birmingham keeper, Colin Doyle, produced a remarkable double save at the very end of the match, first tipping Matt Jarvis's shot on to a post and then denying Steven Fletcher from the rebound.

"It's the worst possible result," said the Birmingham manager, Chris Hughton, begrudging the prospect of another fixture. His reaction was extreme, though had he substituted the word result for first half, it would not have been unreasonable.

Luckily the second half begat a trickle of attacking opportunities for both sides, though neither could find the net and often not even the target. The Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake wasted the game's only gaping chance of normal time; unmarked from 12 yards out he shaped to sidefoot Michael Kightly's cross, but lifted his effort hopelessly high.

Stephen Hunt and Karl Henry provided some rare showmanship soon afterwards when they combined for a Wolves free-kick that recalled Willie Carr's donkey-kick for Coventry City against Everton in 1970. Henry nudged the ball to Hunt, who hooked it skywards and then rifled a dipping volley just over the bar.

On occasion, Guirane N'Daw displayed why City were so keen to extend the Senegalese's loan spell until the end of the season. The Saint-Etienne player's thrust and vision unnerved the Wolves defenders. N'Daw will not be available for Birmingham in the coming weeks as he flies out for the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. It will be a significant loss to City, though even he could not take advantage of Johnson's early withdrawal to fashion a Birmingham chance.

"Roger rocked his ankle on Friday and he did it again. He wanted me to give him five more minutes, but he could've damaged his ligaments. We think he'll be fine for next week," said the Wolves manager, Mick McCarthy. "The result was always going to be decided by something brilliant and it was, by the two saves. In the Premier League teams are ruthless and maybe Birmingham weren't ruthless with us."

In reality, Birmingham had few opportunities with which to be ruthless. Nathan Redmond had a couple of snap-shots cleared and saved, but had either side invoked a winner it would have been unjust.