Bolton 2 Birmingham City 2

Blues threw away a two-goal lead and a man-advantage to draw 2-2 with Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium this afternoon.

The visitors were already a goal up through Roger Johnson, when Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was sent off for swinging at the defender late in the first half.

Craig Gardner doubled Blues' lead five minutes into the second half but Kevin Davies clawed a goal back from the penalty spot before former City striker Robbie Blake snatched a point with a superb free-kick nine minutes from the end.

With both sides unbeaten in their first two league games of the season, Blues boss Alex McLeish opted for a conservative 4-5-1 formation, with James McFadden slotting in deep behind Cameron Jerome.

But it was the visitors who started the more adventurously, and they took the lead within four minutes when Johnson slotted home from close range.

McFadden's throughball released Bowyer on the left and the former West Ham man's low centre was prodded on by Jerome, allowing Johnson to claim his first ever Blues goal.

Johan Elmander flashed a shot wide of Ben Foster's near-post a minute later but the Swede had already been flagged off-side.

Johnson climbed well to meet a deep Seb Larsson free kick with nine minutes gone, but could only guide the ball wide from a tight angle.

Stephen Carr almost let in Martin Petrov when he sliced a bouncing clearance, but the Irishman was quick enough to block the Bulgarian's snapshot.

Blues dominated the early possession and Elmander smashed a promising free-kick straight into the wall as Bolton struggled to find their feet.

But The Trotters gradually began to settle and Petrov forced a smart save from Foster with 17 minutes gone after Davies played him on, outside the box.

Cameron Jerome appealed for a penalty when he sliced his shot from inside the box, claming Gary Cahill had brought him down. But contact looked marginal and accidental.

Lee Bowyer got himself needlessly booked for protesting at the referee's decision to wave play on.

Foster then plucked out Elmander's useful low centre with Kevin Davies lurking at the back post.

A Holden corner caused temporary chaos in the Blues box but as the ball finally broke to Elmander, Carr was able to block the shot from a narrow angle.

A second Holden corner should have levelled the score when Lee was allowed a free header, but the South Korean's nod-on was allowed to roll across the box, and out for a throw in, with the goal gaping.

A quick break down the right by Gardner almost brought a second goal for the visitors but McFadden volleyed straight at Jaaskelainen.

But the Icelandic keeper went from hero to villain in minutes, when he stupidly got himself sent off for slapping Johnson on 35 minutes.

The defender clattered into the keeper, chasing a bouncing ball which he looked completely entitled to contest. But Johnson's attempted apology, for an obvious foul, was met with the most petulant of reactions from the usually unflappable shot-stopper.

Owen Coyle sacrificed Petrov, handing reserve keeper Adam Bogdan his Premier League debut just four days after his first team debut, against Southampton in the Carling Cup.

The first half ended petulantly as tempers rose, with Johnson also going into the book for descent.

Davies saw his shot blocked by Johnson as the minutes ticked down and Foster was forced to punch away Holden's deep cross as the 10-men finished the half strongly.

But the visitors caught their hosts napping again as Gardner doubled Blues' lead within five minutes of the re-start.

McFadden cut in from the left, and his cross was perfectly nodded back across goal for the former Villa man to stab home at the second attempt.

Elmander almost hit back straight away, but pulled his shot straight at Foster from the angle.

Jerome then fizzed a shot wide of his own as the balance of the game see-sawed.

But the more open game suited the away side, who had to chase the game. And chase it they did, as Bolton laid siege to Blues'goal in the final third of the game.

Davies flashed a shot well over the bar after good work from Lee and Muamba, and Steinsson came within a whisker of a goal when he miscued Lee's headed flick on, from a corner.

It appeared Bowyer had tugged the defender's arm as he stretched for the ball, but it would have been a soft penalty to give away.

But Bolton won the spot-kick they craved in the 71st minute when Johnson pushed Davies down, as he leaped for an innocuous header in the area.

It was the third penalty Blues have given away in three league games and Davies accepted the gift, slotting the ball into the top right-hand corner with aplomb.

Minutes earlier Coyle had replaced Elmander with former Blues striker Robbie Blake, while McLeish has brought on Matt Derbyshire for McFadden.

The former proved inspired, as Blake curled home a superb free-kick from the edge of the box to level the game with nine minutes remaining.

Fahey, who had replaced Larsson with 14 minutes left after the Swede went down injured, could have handed the game to Bolton with five minutes left when his poke back to Foster was intercepted by Davies. But the former Southampton man blazed narrowly over from a tight angle.

Jerome almost stole the game for Blues in stoppage time, as he raced on to a well-timed throughball, but Bogdan raced out to save the shot, and ensure the points were shared at the Reebok.