West Brom 1-1 Birmingham
Johnson (right) scored his first goal in over three years
Birmingham moved to second place in the table after coming from behind with 10 men to draw at West Bromwich Albion.
The game exploded into life on the hour when Dean Kiely courageously blocked Rowan Vine's close-range volley.
West Brom, who had lost their previous three games, made the most of that reprieve as Paul McShane sidefooted home a cross from Jason Koumas.
Julian Gray was then sent off for tripping McShane but Damien Johnson's stunning volley gave Blues a point.
Interview: Birmingham boss Steve Bruce
Johnson, who suffered a broken jaw when the two teams met at St Andrews earlier in the season, displayed exemplary technique in guiding a curling, left-footed volley past Kiely's despairing dive.
Neither side could claim anything for artistic merit in a game that was admittedly played in difficult conditions.
Light snow flurries and a biting wind punctuated a stop-start match that left both keepers with little to do until Kiely's dramatic intervention to thwart Vine.
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Kiely spread his body to create a huge barrier that enabled him to block Vine's goalbound volley.
West Brom seemed to draw strength from Kiely's heroics and McShane swept them into the lead with a low shot following Koumas' cross.
As Birmingham searched for an equaliser the visitors were soon a man down after Gray felled McShane as the West Brom goalscorer surged towards goal.
Despite their numerical superiority, West Brom were unable to establish control of the game and with four minutes remaining Birmingham snatched a point, thanks to Johnson's first goal in over three years.
Birmingham would have gone top if they had won at The Hawthorns, although manager Steve Bruce has the consolation of still having a game in hand over leaders Derby and third-placed Sunderland.
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West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray:
"Of course we're frustrated. It's a game we put a lot of work into and didn't get our reward. It was a wonder strike that got them a point.
"I know there comes a time when you have to look at the results but we are functioning very well as a team.
"We've been lacking a cutting edge, but that's something we have to work on."
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce:
"We needed that resilience and took a bit of a gung-ho approach and thankfully Damien popped up with a wonder strike.
"I've had him with me for five years and I will never spend another £50,000 like I did on him.
"The goal he scored was possibly the best he has scored in his career."
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West Brom: Kiely, McShane, Clement, Sodje, Robinson, Gera (MacDonald 55), Koren, Greening, Koumas (Carter 84), Kamara, Ellington.
Subs Not Used: Daniels, Phillips, Hodgkiss.
Booked: Greening, McShane.
Goals: McShane 64.
Birmingham: Doyle, Kelly, Martin Taylor (Jerome 75), Jaidi, Sadler, Johnson, Muamba (Larsson 82), Clemence, Gray, Bendtner, Vine (Campbell 75).
Subs Not Used: Maik Taylor, Nafti.
Sent Off: Gray (66).
Booked: Clemence.
Goals: Johnson 86.
Att: 21,434.
Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).