Zigic Niks all three points

Nikola Zigic was the stoppage-time hero for Birmingham as the Carling Cup finalists secured a vital three points against a stubborn Stoke side.

The game had been very nip-and-tuck with both keepers rather redundant between the posts until Zigic grabbed a 93^rd minute winner. The result gives Alex McLeish’s side their first back-to-back league wins for 14 months after Zigic rescued the Blues again, following his winner at West Ham last Sunday.

The 6ft 8ins Serbia international nodded in a Cameron Jerome cross after Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic had spilled David Bentley's low shot. Begovic did not have much else to do in a drab Midlands derby but failed to hold onto what looked like a routine save for the Bosnian who has been in fine form of late.

It looked like both sides would share the spoils in a match where chances were few and far between, with much of the game being bossed by both defences but after Stoke’s rare lapse in concentration, the former Potters target Zigic was allowed to ease the home side’s relegation fears and move them into 14^th above rivals Aston Villa.

Both teams lined up with 4-4-2 formations and continued to cancel each other out particularly in the final third. Birmingham’s new front pairing of Zigic and Obafemi Martins were given no change from Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth who marshalled Stoke’s defence very well, while Stoke’s new forward line of Kenwyne Jones and John Carew were often thwarted by a resolute Roger Johnson and Martin Jiranek. Though the game will not live in the memory for too long, Blues’ fans will just be grateful of the points in their bid to secure Premier League safety.

Boxing Day was the last time that Stoke had won away from the Potteries and they would have certainly fancied their chances at St. Andrews after they weathered an early storm from the hosts to create the lion’s share of what few chances came along in the first half. Former Birmingham man, Jermaine Pennant was the creative fulcrum for the Potters as he enjoyed the benefit of a pair of almost unmissable targets in Carew and Jones, and it was his cultured delivery from the right flank that frequently made life uncomfortable for the one-time Stoke trainee Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal.

But while the two strapping front men battered Foster, they could not better him, and in the absence of tangible reward for his creative efforts, Pennant almost took matters into his own hands, curling a low free-kick inches wide of Foster's left-hand upright.

It was of no surprise though to Stoke’s travelling fans that the Potters would not muster an early goal as they remain the only team in England not to have scored in the opening 15 minutes of a match this season.

Birmingham started to come back into the game as the first half drew to a close with David Bentley and Sebastian Larsson providing some energy down the flanks as they tried to capitalise on the frailties of Stoke’s stand-in full backs Danny Pugh and Marc Wilson.

The only notable moment of the second half came when Huth looked to have handled Bentley’s effort with a raised arm but referee Mark Halsey waved played on as the German cleverly fell to the ground clutching his face.

As the game petered out and seemed destined for a goalless draw, Zigic then rose highest in the box to ensure Birmingham hold the bragging rights between these two Midland’s rivals until next time.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis could not hide his frustration after the game after seeing his side surrender a point in a game they were rarely troubled in:  “Asmir Begovic should have cuddled that ball, it shouldn't have come off him as it did, but up to that I thought we defended very well. The disappointing thing is that, from a game we thought we'd seen out, we ended up losing.”