Birmingham manager Chris Hughton was left frustrated as his side drew 0-0 at home to Hull to lose ground in the race for automatic promotion.

Birmingham dropped to fifth, five points behind second-placed Southampton with the result, while promotion-chasing Hull were left a point outside the play-offs after Tuesday night's Championship stalemate at St Andrew's.

Hughton, whose side remain unbeaten at home this season, said: "It was very frustrating. In the end sometimes you have to hold up your hands.

"It was not one of our better performances. What we were able to do was to get a better performance than in the first period to give us a chance of winning the game.

"I thought Hull have a bit of pace up front. They are good on the counter-attack and a young side which defends very well."

"Over the 90 minutes we didn't play well enough to test their goalkeeper and give ourselves of winning.

"Our best chance fell to Curtis Davies in the second half. When we saw the delivery and saw Davies there in view of the form he has been in this season in front of goal we felt that it was going to be a goal.

"We didn't do well enough to win the game and then you have to make sure you do not lose it."

A confident Hull side played with plenty of grit and determination and went closest to snatching a win when a James Chester header was cleared from just under the bar by Jordon Mutch in the 20th minute.

Hull's boss Nick Barmby saw it as a point gained.

He said: "I was very pleased with a point.

"In the first half I thought we were the better team but the pass was lacking in the final third.

"Birmingham came at us in the second half. This was fully expected, they are going well and are a very good side.

"To come to Birmingham and get a point is very good from our point of view.

"Maybe we were good for a goal in the first half but we know

that Birmingham have scored a lot of late goals this season.

"But once again the attitude, commitment and desire of the lads to keep the ball out of our net was again spot on.

"As long as that foundation is there we are always in with a good chance of scoring a goal with the players we have in the side.

"The lads really want to do well for the club and each other. I am not too concerned about dropping out of the play-offs at the present time."

Hull have now not conceded a goal in the last 494 minutes and Barmby added: "I think the team shape is good and the lads know their jobs. They have pride in the way we play and pride in the way we defend.

"Coming to Birmingham and playing against a side which scores a lot of goals from set-pieces I think we defended very well.

"We are on a good run, but our club doesn't get carried away. We will let other people do all the talking."