Demarai Gray rescued a point for Birmingham with a late penalty in their 2-2 Championship draw at home to Bristol City.

Gray coolly netted from the spot after a handball in a crowded box in the fifth minute of added time.

Bristol City substitute Dom Ballard converted Rio Cardines' cross with a superb flick with his back to goal after 85 minutes to give the Robins the lead.

Scott Twine's 33rd-minute effort initially gave the visitors the advantage before they conceded a 42nd-minute equaliser to Carlos Vicente.

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After that, Bristol City had the best chances and attacking midfielder Twine's low, angled drive sailed just wide before Birmingham right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel's curling left-footed effort went close.

The visitors then wasted two half chances. Rob Dickie, falling backwards, glanced a header comfortably over the bar from Cardines' free-kick.

Then Lorent Tolaj sent a free header over from four yards out from Jason Knight's cross.

But they made no mistake in the 33rd minute. Twine bundled home from eight yards after his header came back to him from Dickie's aerial challenge to meet Jason Knight's 60-yard pass. It was the first goal Blues had conceded this season.

Vicente's first-time sidefooted effort from 12 yards levelled when it crept into the corner of the net despite goalkeeper Sam Tickle's best attempts after Alex Cochrane crossed.

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Tomoki Iwata flashed a full-blooded volley over the bar for Blues and Bristol City's Joe Williams sidefooted wide from a glorious chance as both teams traded chances soon after the restart.

The Robins threatened three times in quick succession before the hour.

Twine forced Blues goalkeeper James Beadle's first serious save in the 54th minute, smothering a low, angled drive.

Tolaj somehow nodded wide from two yards out at the far post, before summer signing Jed Wallace had Beadle acrobatically palming away following a rising piledriver on the break.

Unmarked substitute Tomi Horvat forced Beadle into a one-handed save when his toe-poked effort from Lisav Eissat's pass had the Blues keeper scrambling to his left.

Ballard scored with a bizarre flick with his back to goal to loop over Beadle.

Undeterred, Blues had an effort disallowed for offside when Jhon Solis steered home Cochrane's corner on 88, before substitute Sam Greenwood's thunderous effort was palmed over for the visitors.

But Blues were not finished and a handball in the box gave the hosts a penalty which substitute Gray put away.

The managers

Birmingham's Chris Davies:

"I was furious and in disbelief to be honest to have that goal disallowed from Jhon Solis for some involvement on the goalkeeper.

"I just don't see it and I don't think they even appealed for it. I thought that was a poor decision in that context and that would have been very painful to take.

"For the penalty, we forced an error really, a handball in a melee in the box. I think it was a penalty we deserved and we got a goal from it so it was a pretty eventful end."

Bristol City's Michael Skubala:

"I've seen it back since - the linesman gave it for a handball from Jason Knight, and yet Rob Atkinson headed the ball.

"It was a crazy decision which didn't need to happen. The referee has two angles - his and the linesman's - and the decision was not the right one.

"It was a frustrating afternoon for us because I thought we did enough to win.

"The one (Solis) before was offside, so he got that one right. But maybe the occasion and the environment got a little bit to the linesman in the corner.

"Rob Atkinson comes through and heads the ball and we should have come away with three points.

"We created the bigger chances, opened their back line up at times and looked the most threatening team."

What the result means and next fixtures...

• Championship fixtures

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