SOMETIMES a stalemate is the fairest solution and that was the case at St Andrew's, where neither side could fashion enough dominance to warrant the three points.

Wanderers and Birmingham were forced to share the spoils, meaning the Whites’ search for their first win of the Championship season goes on.

Phil Parkinson was able to name Filipe Morais in his starting line-up for the first time and Adam Armstrong made his first start in the league, partnering Gary Madine in attack, with Mark Little and Adam Le Fondre dropping to the bench.

Morais may have been given the all-clear to play but the Postman did not seem to be at his absolute lethal best. Perhaps too much is expected of him these days but Morais was not picking out his crosses with the accuracy that has become almost commonplace with him.

An issue with the amount of light the St Andrew's floodlights beamed onto the goal areas meant the goalline technology system was not operational.

And the two teams produced very little to illuminate the evening either, particularly in a goalless first half.

Jacques Maghoma went closest for the hosts before the break when he raced onto a ball in behind but, as he homed in on Mark Howard’s goal, he lost his composure and blazed over.

Before that opening, the Whites’ willingness to put the team before personal safety – which ensured they brought home a point from Millwall on Saturday – was in evidence once again. This time it was Andy Taylor hurling himself in the way of David Cotterill’s goalbound shot to ensure Howard was not called upon.

In fact, Howard’s most telling contribution came from another Cotterill effort. As the keeper committed himself to diving to his right, the Whites’ impressive youngster Reece Burke extended a leg which only succeeded in diverting the shot the other way.

It looked for all the world it would be the breakthrough, but somehow Howard changed direction and thrust out an arm, getting just enough of a connection to send the ball out to the relative safety of a corner.

As for the Whites, Armstrong was eager and willing in harassing defenders and trying to bring runners into play, while Madine both gave and received the now-customary succession of bumps and scrapes from the back line.

Madine did have a few sightings, both of which were headed wide. The first, seven minutes in, was nodded past the post while he grappled with Emilio Nsue.

The second saw the striker sneak in ahead of Marc Roberts, who stood his ground and waited to clear. It was good anticipation from Madine but his glanced effort failed to trouble David Stockdale.

The start of the second half was far better from Parkinson’s men, with Morais much livelier, serving notice of his attacking intent when he skipped past left-back Jonathan Grounds. This time the Postman’s delivery was first-class, right onto the head of Armstrong, who misdirected his headed finish.

But although they had found an extra yard in their run and a touch more bite in the tackle, they still struggled to break the Blues down.

Morais did chance his arm with a shot that initially was massively off-target, a defender’s deflection sparing his blushes and earning Wanderers a corner into the bargain.

And when Birmingham cleared their lines, Darren Pratley’s optimism veered into ill-advised hope with a hugely speculative volley from 35 yards.

Maghoma’s attempt to win a penalty out of Dorian Dervite’s challenge cut no ice with referee Darren England, who had no hesitation in showing the first yellow card of the night to the striker.

In fairness, Maghoma’s plunge to the turf was one of the worst you are likely to see all season and the booking it earned him was completely deserved.

As the clock began to run down the challenges became more desperate, the half-chances met with more pained groans from the crowd as they were wasted, broken up or defended manfully.

Parkinson re-introduced Le Fondre from the bench, replacing the man who had taken his starting spot, while in the opposite dugout, Harry Redknapp unveiled his new striker, Isaac Vassell.

The nephew of former England striker Darius Vassell has pace to burn but even with that pedigree and his background as one of the country’s top junior athletes, he could not inject the telling piece of class to win the game for the hosts.

Birmingham did have one last chance to snatch victory, deep into the fifth and final minute of time added on. Craig Gardner shouldered the responsibility with a free kick on the edge of Howard’s box. The home fans looked on expectantly, the visitors’ 902 supporters struggled to dare to look.

All of which was instantly deflated by Gardner’s inability to get the shot beyond Howard’s White wall, and the opportunity – though far from clear cut – like so many before them, went begging.

The stalemate was perhaps best summed up by Le Fondre’s attempt to snatch a corner, by playing the ball off Grounds, just after he won it from the defender’s attempt to do the same, the rebound not falling for him and via his shin the chance of gaining anything was lost.

It was not the most satisfactory of outcomes but it was probably the fairest and neither manager could realistically stake a claim to have earned all three points.