Kilkenny, 19, received a straight red card after punching Jamie Carragher's goal-bound header off the line with eight minutes left, conceding a penalty that Djibril Cisse converted to earn the European champions their fourth draw from five Premiership matches this season.

A Stephen Warnock own goal and Walter Pandiani's first of the season had put Birmingham on track for all three points after Luis Garcia had come off the bench to give Liverpool the lead.

But the visitors' late pressure paid off and they could have claimed victory when an unmarked Peter Crouch headed Cisse's superb cross over the bar from six yards in the closing stages.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce had been forced to deploy Kilkenny in a midfield missing Muzzy Izzet, Jiri Jarosik, Stephen Clemence, David Dunn and Nicky Butt because of either injury or suspension.

Liverpool meanwhile were showing three changes from the side which had held Manchester United to a goaless draw on Sunday.

Josemi, Dietmar Hamann and Boudewijn Zenden came back into the starting line-up with Steve Finnan, Luis Garcia and John Arne Riise making way.

The dramatic finale to the match could not have contrasted more sharply with an uninspiring first half, in which Steven Gerrard came closest to breaking the deadlock.

The England midfielder's 25-yard drive beat Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor but could not get the better of the post, rebounding to safety.

Three minutes earlier, Emile Heskey had produced Birming-ham's best effort of the opening period, although his low shot lacked real menace and Jose Reina was able to save relatively comfortably.

Bruce's side displayed far greater self-belief immediately after the interval but the increased tempo failed to deliver any clear-cut chances and it was Liverpool who brought the game to life by taking the lead after the introduction of Luis Garcia just after the hour mark.

Sami Hyypia's long ball was chested down by Peter Crouch to Gerrard, whose first time pass sent Luis Garcia clear of the flat-footed Birmingham back-four.

The Spaniard finished with aplomb with a low left-foot shot from the edge of the area.

Birmingham were staring a fourth straight home defeat in the face, only for two extraordinary blunders from Liverpool to hand the initiative back to the home team.

First Warnock, seeking to intercept Julian Gray's cross from the right of the box, deflected the ball inside Reina at his near post and into the net.

Then, three minutes later, the Spanish goalkeeper spilled an Emile Heskey header that was directed straight at him. Kilkenny was first to the rebound and although his attempt was blocked by Reina, substitute Pandiani was on hand to bundle the ball into the net.

At that stage it looked like being a dream debut for Kilkenny. But it all went sour for the youngster with eight minutes left. Carragher's header cannoned off the bar and was bound for the back of the net via Reina's heel when Kilkenny, standing on the line, instinctively palmed the ball away.

Referee Steve Bennett had no option but to pull out his red card and Cisse sent Taylor the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

Crouch will have been frustrated not to have taken his late chance but a draw was probably just about the right result.