City anger at Ipswich penalty

'I can't think of any reason why Danny Sonner would handle the ball,' said Francis.

'It was a very harsh decision. If you give a penalty it has to be intentional. He says it hit him on the chest.

'Sometimes, when something happens in the box, your heart goes in your mouth. That didn't happen on this occasion. But overall I'm pleased. Ipswich only have a one-goal lead and will not find it so easy to pass the ball around on our pitch.'

Francis' frustration was understandable as his side could easily have negotiated their way to a draw on an evening when hard work and organised defending restricted Ipswich to rare opportunities.

Indeed, had his strikers showed a little more poise when presented with early chances, Birmingham could have given their opponents a mighty scare.

Twice in the opening 15 minutes, Birmingham could have taken the lead and that they did not served as an indication of the continuing differences between the Premiership and Division One.

Dele Adebola could only strike a shot straight at Hermann Hreidarsson when handed an opportunity after 15 seconds while Peter Ndlovu cleared goalkeeper Richard Wright but also the crossbar when attempting a lob after scurrying clear on to a pass from Sonner 15 minutes later.

In truth, Ndlovu's opportunity proved to be Birmingham's last until they attempted to rally late in the game. But although possession was almost exclusively Ipswich's from that moment on, Birmingham goalkeeper Ian Bennett needed only to stretch himself once on an evening of football that was at best forgettable and at worst typical of a competition that is struggling to retain its appeal.

Bennett's swoop to his right in the first half to touch away a header from James Scowcroft was certainly an excellent save but from that point on he was largely a bystander as Ipswich failed to turn possession and opportunities into goals.

Jermaine Wright sliced carelessly wide before Stewart's penalty while the scorer himself miscued untypically when running on to Fabian Wilnis's cross to the far post just before the hour.

The nearest Ipswich came to extending the lead, however, came immediately after half-time when Hreidarsson met a Jamie Clapham free-kick with his head, only to see the ball smack Bennett's righthand post and rebound to safety.

Had that gone in, then Ipswich would by now have one-and-a-half feet in the Millennium Stadium. As it is, Burley will have to wait a while to see if his side can given themselves a chance to make up for the disappointment felt by their manager when, as a player, he twice fell at the semi-final stage of the League Cup competition in 1982 and 1985.

'We have a goal lead and, if we can keep it, will reach a major final,' said Burley.

'As a club we've reached this stage twice before. This time I want to go one stage further.

'That's very important to us. We've gone to Anfield and Elland Road already this season and got results there, so St Andrew's holds no fears for us.

'It was definitely hand-ball for the penalty. It is up to the referee to decide whether it was intentional or not. I am not sure.'

In a late bid to salvage something, Francis had introduced Marcelo and Stan Lazaridis for Nicky Eaden and Ndlovu but, by that stage, possession was hard to come by.

A mistake by Titus Bramble gave Marcelo a sniff of goal but the substitute could not make the necessary and telling reaction.