Boaz Myhill has earned the praise of Birmingham manager Chris Hughton for his starring performances of late.

The goalkeeper, who is on a season-long loan from West Brom, endured a difficult start to life at St Andrew's following his summer arrival but has gone on to provide a reliable and solid last line of defence as part of the joint-second meanest rearguard in the Championship.

Myhill proved his quality in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Portsmouth with a crucial save to deny Joel Ward towards the end of the first half which very much kept Blues in the game before their late winner.

And Hughton said: "It's not the first time. We've had games - Leeds last week - when he's made a couple of very good saves. You can't have the run we've had (12 games unbeaten) without being good defensively as a unit but also a goalkeeper who's going to pull off the good saves that keep you in the games. And we've needed him, he's been excellent for us."

Hughton added: "I would agree (he hasn't got the credit he deserves after a tough start), and I'm sure he would agree he did have a sticky start but I think, probably, that was also us as a team.

"Our form early in the season certainly wasn't as good as it is now, so I think that came perhaps with the team. Apart from that first period, he has really been excellent for us."