Crystal Palace blew the opportunity to move into first place in the Championship, throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Birmingham City.

Palace fired an early warning shot as early as the first minute when Wilfried Zaha picked up Jonathan Parr's cross inside the box and fired over the bar.

Birmingham created a few chances of their own in the first half. Scottish winger Christopher Burke tested Julian Speroni in the Palace goal in the eighth minute and Marlon King shot wide shortly after.

Neither side gave the other an inch in the first period, but Birmingham almost opened the scoring on 36 minutes through Peter Lovenkrands.

The Dane was denied by the in-form Speroni, and would rue his miss shortly after.

Yannick Bolasie swung a cross into the danger area in the 39th minute and Glenn Murray pounced from close range to make it 1-0 to Palace at the break.

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Murray struck again just before the hour mark, turning Jonathan Parr's cross into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

Substitute Nikola Zigic turned the game into a contest in the 66th minute when he headed in Marlon King's cross to make it 2-1, and Callum Reilly could have equalised moments later, but shot wide.

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Birmingham stole an equaliser in the 81st minute. Robert Hall supplied the cross and Papa Bouba Diop headed in from close range to rescue a point for his team on his first ever start.