Birmingham 2-0 Middlesbrough

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Birmingham strike duo Clinton Morrison and Emile Heskey each scored to lead their side to a third league win on the trot at the expense of Middlesbrough.

Boro had a Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink goal disallowed before Morrison swivelled and struck home a first-time shot.

Heskey confirmed Birmingham's dominance when he headed in from six yards.

Boro struggled without the midfield muscle of George Boateng and would have gone three behind if Mark Schwarzer had not tipped over a Robbie Savage curler.

Boro thought they had got off to the ideal start when Hasselbaink cut inside and saw a shot deflected in by Blues defender Matthew Upson.

But the home side breathed a sigh of relief as the goal was disallowed for Boro strike partner Mark Viduka being offside and heeded the warning by taking control of the game.

Morrison had a goalbound shot blocked by the head of Franck Quedrue before scoring his fourth goal in five games with an opportunist effort.

Dunn (right) was a constant threat to Boro

Boro suffered a further setback when Viduka was forced off because of injury with Joseph Desire Job coming on as his replacement.

The visitors were struggling to come to terms with a Blues side inspired by the goal.

David Dunn's trickery on the left flank was a constant thorn in Middlesbrough's side while they also struggled to come to terms with the physical presence of Heskey.

A momentary lapse by the home side almost let Boro back into the game only for Hasselbaink to shave the wrong side of the post with a powerful shot from a Ray Parlour cross.

The miss proved pivotal as Birmingham went up the other end and, after Darren Carter had a shot deflected wide, he delivered a short corner which Savage crossed in for Heskey to nod in from six yards.

Typical - just when I thought it was a pleasure to be a Boro fan, they come up with the most dire display of the season so far From PFH Have your say on 606

Steve Bruce's side continued where they left off after the break and, with his side comfortably holding Boro at bay, the Blues boss was forced to take Heskey and Dunn off because of injury shortly after the break.

Savage tested Boro keeper Schwarzer with a 25-yard curling free-kick which the Australian did well to tip over as Birmingham threatened to add a third.

Stewart Downing had a glorious chance to grab a late consolation effort for the Teesside club but he drilled a shot just wide as Boro suffered a fourth league loss on their travels this season.

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Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Tebily, Cunningham, Upson, Lazaridis, Johnson, Savage, Carter, Dunn (Clapham 54), Heskey (Gray 50), Morrison. Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Melchiot, Anderton.

Booked: Dunn.

Goals: Morrison 10, Heskey 45.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Reiziger, Southgate, Cooper, Queudrue, Parlour, Doriva (Nemeth 61), Zenden, Downing, Viduka (Job 23), Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: Nash, Morrison, McMahon.

Ref: S Bennett (Kent).

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