Birmingham City's derby hero Colin Doyle has praised defensive partnership Radhi Jaidi and Martin Taylor, saying they are the best pairing in the Championship.

The Irish goalkeeper, who is in line to make his international debut during the Republic of Ireland's summer tour to the United States, was in superb form on Sunday when he pulled off a string of brilliant saves and kept out a last minute penalty to hand his side a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That put Steve Bruce's side back on top of the league and means they can secure an immediate return to the Premiership this weekend if they beat Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County fail to win at Crystal Palace.

It also earned the 21-year-old rave reviews for the way he has come into Bruce's side at a crucial stage of the season and held not just his nerve - but also his opponents at bay too.

However, Doyle has sought to deflect the plaudits to his team-mates and in particular the two men in front of him, Taylor and Jaidi, who, he claims, are as much a threat in the opposition penalty area as they are solid in their own.

Jaidi in particular has come up with some vital goals that, three in the last six games and the decisive strikes against Southampton and Leicester City.

"I don't know how many goals he's scored but he is a fearsome prospect in the opposition box," Doyle said. "Tiny is too. They're both brilliant in the air attacking and defending."

With half a dozen in his City career Jaidi has a strike record of a goal every six games for Birmingham and bagged eight in his 35 starts with Bolton Wanderers.

Taylor is more renowned for his prowess at the opposite end of the pitch and has been a keystone in the side that is the second tightest in the division despite the departure of Matthew Upson during the January transfer window.

"They have been brilliant all season," said Doyle. "Since Matty has gone and they were put together they have been tremendous. If we can keep clean sheets we should go up.

"They have been fantastic, there have been a lot of clean sheets in my run of games and they have been a big part of that.

"They have really helped me along, made some big challenges for me and I've made a save for them.

"Radhi and Tiny have a great understanding. They are playing so well together there isn't a better partnership in the league."

Aside from Taylor and Jaidi, Doyle also feels Birmingham's indefatigable spirit has helped them grind out results such as the ones at Molineux and the Walkers Stadium.

Those gritty performances, underpinned by his own displays have led to speculation that the Irishman will be offered a new contract this summer to fend off interest from other clubs.

"You are always happy when you play well and I am feeling very confident, but it is about the team getting results and getting promotion," he continued.

"One minute you can be losing a game and the next minute you could be winning it - we saw that against Wolves on Sunday - so even when it might be easy to give up when you are losing or easy to settle for a draw, this bunch of lads keep going.

"We have stuck at it this season and we are getting our rewards so we are delighted with that. There was a big expectation for us to go straight back up, but we stuck together and look where we are now."