Championship: Crystal Palace 1 Birmingham City 0

Kagisho Dikgacoi’s goal handed Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, putting his side in sight of the Championship playoff places.

South African midfielder Dikgacoi met Darren Ambrose’s cross on 84 minutes, burying his header over despairing Birmingham goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

It proved the only goal in an intriguing match at Selhurst Park on Tuesday.

Visitors City had the best of the game’s early exchanges but largely failed to test Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni, and it was at the other end that the first real chance fell.

Nathaniel Clyne’s cross was headed out into the path of Palace team-mate Mile Jedinak on 30 minutes, and the Australia international’s volley was hit perfectly but could not get past Myhill.

Clyne had his own chance to break the deadlock but was foiled by David Murphy’s superb tackle, with the Palace youngster having found space in the area courtesy of Sean Scannell’s backheel.

Stephen Caldwell forced a save out of Speroni early in the second half for City, while Jedinak tested Myhill with his header from a corner.

He had another chance as Palace’s set-pieces became more and more dangerous, while winger Chris Burke appeared most likely for the away side and had Speroni on his toes with his drive.

But it was Dikgacoi who left with the biggest say in the match’s outcome.

After another series of dangerous set-pieces, Ambrose found space on the right and crossed superbly for Dikgacoi to power his header home.

City manager Chris Hughton brought on towering strikers Chris Wood and Nikola Zigic as his side sought a direct way to get an equaliser in the game’s dying stages, but Palace held on to move eighth on the table and are just two points from the playoff places.

City are 14th, and now four points from Tuesday’s victors.