Birmingham City ... 0 Fulham ... 0 If avoiding a fifth successive defeat yesterday has eased the pressure on Jean Tigana's tenuous position as Fulham's coach, then he has as much cause to be thankful for a poorly struck penalty as a determined display by his team, who finished with nine men.

The Frenchman was in anything but a benevolent mood, however, after Steve Marlet followed Rufus Brevett to the dressing room. Tigana had no complaints about either dismissal but his trademark reluctance to say anything remotely controversial finally deserted him.

And the cause of this volte-face? None other than the antics of that celebrated enfant terrible of the Premiership, Robert William Savage.

Marlet kicked Savage in retaliation for a challenge of dubious legality in the 79th minute. "Marlet deserved a red card but Savage staying on the pitch was unacceptable," Tigana said. Defender Brevett made a diving one-handed save from Darren Purse - one that Van der Sar would have been proud to execute - and was sent off. Stern John thumped his penalty straight at Van der Sar before Geoff Horsfield put the rebound wide.

BIRMINGHAM CITY: Vaesen, Tebily (Hughes 75), Purse, Cunningham, Kenna, Devlin, Savage (Kirovski 82), Cisse, Lazaridis, John (Morrison 75), Horsfield. Subs Not Used: Bennett, Powell.Booked: Devlin, Savage.

FULHAM: Van der Sar, Finnan, Melville, Goma, Brevett, Goldbaek (Inamoto 85), Legwinski (Djetou 60), Clark, Malbranque, Marlet, Boa Morte (Knight 71). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Sava. Sent Off: Brevett (37), Marlet (79). Booked: Finnan.

Referee: M Messias (Yorkshire).