Scottish international Kevin Kyle ensured Sunderland will go into the hat for the FA Cup quarter-final draw after Barclaycard Premiership Birmingham were made to scrap for a draw on Wearside tonight.

The powerhouse striker glanced home a neat header six minutes before the break to cancel out Mikael Forssell's 28th-minute opener.

Only 24,966 spectators - almost 16,000 fewer than watched the third-round tie against neighbours Hartlepool - turned out at the Stadium of Light to watch Mick McCarthy's men put on one of their most accomplished displays for some time - and those who stayed away missed a hugely encouraging performance which deservedly earned the cash-strapped club a replay at St Andrews.

Had Stephen Wright's 51st-minute effort crept under the crossbar rather than come back off it, Birmingham would have been heading back to the midlands licking their wounds.

McCarthy insisted in he run-up to the game that if his side won it would be no giant-killing act, and the message certainly appeared to have got through to his players.

The current crop of Black Cats wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence before kick-off in memory of former manager Bob Stokoe - who led them to improbable glory in the 1973 final.

Sunderland set out tonight with Julio Arca profiting down the left, ably assisted by mobile striker Marcus Stewart, and Jason McAteer and Jeff Whitley making life intensely difficult for Robbie Savage and Bryan Hughes in the middle of the field.

It was a recipe which allowed the home side to dominate the opening 20 minutes to such an extent that City barely made it out of their own half.

But Sunderland were unable to score in that time - and on 28 minutes they found themselves a goal down instead.

Forssell still had a lot to do when Stan Lazaridis and Clinton Morrison combined to find him inside the penalty area. But he twisted his way clear of McCarthy's rearguard before firing past the stranded Mart Poom.

The goal, against the run of play, was a cruel blow - but the pain lasted only 11 minutes.

George McCartney found Stewart down the left, and his near-post cross was deftly flicked past Maik Taylor at the near post by Kyle to square the match.

Sunderland almost increased their lead six minutes after the break.

John Oster and McAteer combined well down the right for the Republic of Ireland international to cross to the near post, where full-back Wright met the ball first time and saw his looping effort clear Taylor but come back off the crossbar.

Birmingham responded by attempting to open up the supply lines to Morrison - and they did so twice within minutes as first Savage with a corner and then Lazaridis picked him out. On both occasions, he headed off target and was soon replaced by Christophe Dugarry.

Both sides went for victory as time ran down, but it was McCarthy's men who might have won it at the death when Whitley and Arca combined to play in Oster on the right only for the Welshman to fire high and wide.

Substitute Aliou Cisse, who had joined the fray as an 81st-minute replacement for Savage, failed to see the game out when he was dismissed for a second bookable offence in injury time - and it was with a sigh of relief that the midlanders greeted the final whistle.

Teams

Sunderland: Poom, Wright, Bjorklund, Breen, McCartney, Oster, McAteer, Whitley, Arca, Kyle, Stewart.

Subs Not Used: Tommy Smith, Thornton, Williams, Thirlwell, Alnwick.

Goals: Kyle 39.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Upson, Cunningham, Purse, Kenna, Lazaridis, Hughes (Carter 90), Savage (Cisse 81), Johnson, Morrison (Dugarry 63), Forssell.

Subs Not Used: Bennett, John.

Sent Off: Cisse (90).

Booked: Cunningham, Dugarry, Cisse, Johnson.

Goals: Forssell 28.

Att: 24,966

Ref: G Barber (Hertfordshire).