Birmingham missed a golden opportunity to seal a place at Wembley for next month’s Carling Cup final when goalkeeper Ben Foster’s howler allowed ten-man West Ham to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the Upton Park semi-final first leg this week.

There were also worries off the field when the club’s latest set of accounts revealed the possibly devastating impact of relegation from the EPL on their financial well-being.

But Blues boss Alex McLeish made a move in the transfer market this week to avert such worries, snapping up David Bentley on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.

Birmingham came from a goal down at West Ham in the Carling Cup after a dreadful first-half display to draw level through Liam Ridgewell’s header. And they were soon a man up after the Hammers’ Victor Obinna was dismissed.

McLeish’s men were denied a clear penalty and then fell behind again when the previously excellent Foster allowed Carlton Cole’s shot through his legs.

City’s recently-published accounts contain stark warnings that the club will need cash injections of up to £7.5m to remain solvent, even if they avoid relegation. A report in the Daily Mail said that the club faced “financial meltdown” if they didn’t stay up.

Blues host Aston Villa this Sunday noon in the EPL, hoping for a repeat of the recent 2-1 St Andrews win over their city arch-rivals.

Centre-half Scott Dann faces a battle to be fit, having torn a hamstring at West Ham.