Birmingham City 0-0 Aston Villa

Record signing Jota failed to hit the target with a clear chance for Birmingham

Birmingham City and Aston Villa shared the spoils as a tense Second City Derby ended scoreless at St Andrew's.

Spanish midfielder Jota wasted Blues' best chance early in the second half, blazing over the bar, before Sam Gallagher also shot too high.

Villa finished strongly, with John Terry's flicked header just wide.

Substitute Keinan Davis and Jonathan Kodjia were unlucky as both hit the bar in quick succession.

• Birmingham City v Aston Villa: Re-live the game as it happened

Steve Bruce's Villa finished the weekend still sixth in the Championship while, after gaining a derby draw from only his third game in charge, Steve Cotterill's Blues are now two points clear of the danger zone.

Keinan Davis was so close to his third senior goal for Villa

There was not much to shout about at either end in the first half.

Kodjia might have done better for Villa with two early chances, while Terry headed straight at keeper Kuszczak from a Robert Snodgrass corner.

But visiting keeper Sam Johnstone was slightly the busier, saving Jota's low left-foot shot, David Davis's near-post effort and two Isaac Vassell headers.

The match was enlivened after the break when Jota got clean away from a loose square pass by Conor Hourihane, but the £6m summer signing, who is yet to score for Blues, fired wildly into the Tilton End.

After half-time, substitute Sam Gallagher headed wide, the on-loan Southampton striker then redirected Marc Roberts' low shot over the bar from close range.

From that point, though, Villa looked the likelier winners.

Kodjia's header was brilliantly tipped over by Kuszczak after Hourihane and Albert Adomah had worked an opening on the right. Then, from Hourihane's free-kick, Terry's clever header was just off target.

After the lively Davis hit the underside of the bar with a left-foot shot, Villa struck the woodwork again with Kodjia's right-foot curler.

There was marginally more to be contented about at full-time for the 2,078 Villa fans in a below capacity - but nonetheless season's best - St Andrew's crowd of 24,408.

And Blues ended the game with a serious concern over striker Isaac Vassell, who is to have a scan after going off with a knee injury, while Villa lost season's top scorer Kodjia late on with an ankle problem.

Birmingham City manager Steve Cotterill told BBC Sport:

"They did hit the bar twice towards the end but they were on the counter. We should have got all three points.

"Our organisation was good and we had chances. It's a long time since this club has won a derby and I really wanted to win this game, so there's a tinge of disappointment.

"We're not going to be a free-scoring team. We just need to keep fighting out way clear of trouble inch by inch."

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC Sport:

"There's a new manager here with a different philosophy. They're up and at you. A big powerful team.

"But it's what we expected and I'm delighted with the the way we responded to the challenge, especially once Mile Jedinak came on. He nullified their physicality. And we had a good spell in the second half,

"Jonathan Kodjia went over on the ankle he did in the summer. We hope it's not too bad, but he might be a bit of a doubt for Wednesday night (at Preston)."