Striker Cameron Jerome made a goalscoring return to action with a brace in a 3-3 reserve friendly draw with Manchester United at St. Andrew's on Tuesday evening.

The frontman, back playing after recovering from a torn thigh muscle picked up just a couple of days before the Championship win over Barnsley on 23 August, pressed his claims for a place in the squad for Saturday's match against Doncaster in the best way possible.

Winger Gary McSheffrey had earlier put Blues 1-0 up over the side from Old Trafford after Jerome had been brought down following a burst into the box. McSheffrey stepped up and calmly slotted home the third minute penalty.

United equalised on 15 when Rodrigo Possebon hammered an unstoppable 20-yard drive past Dean Lyness, who could do nothing in the home goal because of the power of the shot.

But anything Possebon could do Jerome could do better and he gave Blues boss Alex McLeish some real food for thought for the weekend with an absolute piledriver from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner past Tomasz Kuszczak.

Minutes before the break a free-kick from Arturo Ten Heuvel, a 29-year-old Dutch trialist who played the full 90 for Blues in a central midfield position, deflected just wide of the post.

Eleven minutes after the break the hosts extended their lead, this time after McSheffrey had broken clear down the left and whipped in a great centre across the face of the six-yard box that Jerome prodded home.

With Kemy Agustien, Radhi Jaidi, Marcus Bent and Jordon Mutch adding first team experience to a Blues team that also experienced a number of Academy players, the home side battled manfully to hold on to the lead but a David Gray header from corner on 70 brought United back within a goal.

And the visitors concluded the scoring and made it 3-3 with an Evandro Brandao finish from a fairly tight near post angle with just five minutes left.

The score was not overly important on a night that saw plenty of players get valuable match action under their belts and do what they could to push their claims for a place against Doncaster at St. Andrew's on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Blues: Dean Lyness, Jared Wilson, Shaun Timmons, Radhi Jaidi, Jacob Rowe, Arturo Ten Heuvel, Kemy Agustien (Ashley Sammons 67), Jordon Mutch (Jake Jervis 84), Marcus Bent (Robert Gradwell 60), Cameron Jerome (Cagri Kodalak 60), Gary McSheffrey (Semih Aydilek 67). Unused sub: Jack Butland.