Last updated on .From the section Championship

Birmingham City are hopeful Jude Bellingham will sign a professional contract this summer

Cardiff City fought back to earn a point at St Andrew's as Lee Tomlin's second-half header earned the Bluebirds a share of the spoils.

Highly-rated teenager Jude Bellingham swept the hosts into an early lead.

Birmingham were much the better side in the first period but physical Cardiff improved markedly after half-time.

Cardiff slip to 13th, five points off the Championship play-off berths, while Pep Clotet's Blues remain 18th, nine points clear of trouble.

Birmingham had lost their last two league matches against Cardiff, conceding seven goals, but they started much the brighter side and took a deserved fourth-minute lead.

Cardiff were punished for some extremely sloppy defending at a corner - and 16-year old Bellingham was given time and space to deliver a composed finish - his second goal in three home games.

Dan Crowley was providing the thrust for the hosts who were unlucky not to double their lead when Jeremie Bela hammered against the bar- and Bellingham was only denied a second by a stunning Alex Smithies save.

Maxime Colin also blasted over as the hosts failed to double their lead before the interval, though Cardiff did improve to make the second period a more even affair.

Lee Tomlin thought he had levelled but the offside flag intervened, before he also had a penalty appeal waved away.

But Cardiff's most creative player did then equalise just past the hour when he converted from Marlon Pack's corner, heading home smartly at the near post.

Tomlin fired just wide on 73 minutes, before the hosts were denied when Lukas Jutkiewicz's brilliant header was saved superbly by Smithies.

Callum Paterson then fired straight at Lee Camp as Cardiff pushed for a winner, but the hosts warranted a point for their first-half display and held firm.

Birmingham City head coach Pep Clotet told BBC WM:

"We got a lot of our football back after a tough Christmas. I take a lot of interest in shots on target, and we had a lot more than them in the first half.

"Unfortunately, we didn't score the second goal that would have put the game to bed.

"We knew at half-time they would come at us and turn the game into a set-piece game."

Cardiff City manager Neil Harris told BBC Sport Wales:

"In the first half, we were not very good. We were poor with the ball. We said at half-time, let's simplify the plan and do what the conditions dictated.

"We went a bit more direct and in the second half it was everything our fans want to see, a team who have a right go.

"We played in the right areas and looked a real threat. If the referee does his job properly we probably win. I felt it was definitely a penalty on Lee Tomlin. I thought at the time it was a stonewall penalty."