Birmingham 1-0 Sunderland

Heskey's goal was his first since early December

Emile Heskey's header earned Birmingham a priceless win over relegation rivals Sunderland at St Andrews.

The striker Heskey rose to head home Jermaine Pennant's well-flighted free-kick to settle a game that only ignited in the second half.

The Blues' first win in four league matches cast Sunderland further adrift at the foot of the table.

Sunderland showed plenty of spirit but little cutting edge and failed to extend Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor.

With a strong scent of fear in the air at St Andrews, it was hardly surprising that the fraught and tense opening stages produced little flowing football.

Kevin Kyle sparked panic-stations in the Birmingham defence when he turned and fired in a weak shot which would have trickled through to Maik Taylor, but was eventually hacked away after several desperate attempts to clear.

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Kyle then dipped a 25-yard volley straight into Maik Taylor's midriff and Sunderland were the more relaxed side as they played what little football there was on offer.

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Birmingham showed little inspiration or innovation going forward in the first half with Jiri Jarosik firing wide after a thrusting run took him into a promising position.

The Blues fashioned little from open play so it was little surprise when they took the lead from a set-piece for a foul on Jarosik.

Pennant flighted a free-kick to the far post where poor Sunderland organisation and marking left Heskey unmarked to rise high and head powerfully past Kelvin Davis for his first goal since early December.

Heskey rises highest to head Birmingham in front

Julio Arca's clever near-post cross produced a chance for Kyle at the start of the second half, and when the ball was cleared to the other end Sunderland keeper Davis was quick off the blocks to hack clear as substitute DJ Campbell closed in on a long ball.

Birmingham - and Heskey in particular - were playing with a renewed confidence and the forward headed just wide as Pennant was again the provider of a near-post cross.

But Sunderland were not finished and substitute Rory Delap won a tremendous challenge and then dipped a shot just over the bar.

Sunderland played some neat football through midfield but it tended to peter out in the last third, and as Birmingham absorbed the pressure they were able to use the potent weapon of Pennant's pace on the break.

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Birmingham boss Steve Bruce:
"It's going to be tickly and edgy but I'm sure we have the quality to get us out of the trouble we're in.

"There was a lot of nervousness out there today, but sometimes you have to play the match and not the occasion.

"We didn't take the chances we had to kill them off and that last 15 minutes was tense, even though our keeper didn't have a shot to save."

Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy wants to avoid a new record low:
"It's a minimum requirement and expectation that we beat that total of 19 points.

"We have to keep going because the club keeps going and the fans keep turning up every week.

"There was nothing in it until they scored and we were still in the game until the end."

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Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Latka, Martin Taylor, Gray, Pennant, Johnson (Butt 25), Izzet (Dunn 75), Jarosik, Sutton (Campbell 45), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Forssell.

Goals: Heskey 39.

Sunderland: Davis, Nosworthy, Breen (Woods 82), Collins, Hoyte, Lawrence (Delap 45), Whitehead, Leadbitter, Arca, Kyle, Daryl Murphy (Elliott 45).
Subs Not Used: Joe Murphy, Caldwell.

Booked: Nosworthy, Whitehead, Leadbitter.

Att: 29,257

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).