Birmingham City 1 Stoke City 0: Nikola Zigic gives Potters the Blues with late 勝利者

By Myles Hodgson Updated: 00:13 BST, 13 February 2011

Nikola Zigic continued his good 得点する／非難する／２０ing run to （人命などを）奪う，主張する a 劇の 停止-time 勝利者 that 緩和するd Birmingham away from relegation.

The home 味方する's hopes of 安全な・保証するing their 首相 League 未来 looked 荒涼とした after 低迷ing to a 5-0 敗北・負かす at Manchester 部隊d three weeks ago but Zigic's late header moved them （疑いを）晴らす of the 底（に届く） three.

They have now （人命などを）奪う，主張するd seven points from their last three league games.

Striker Zigic, who had looked 始める，決める to leave Birmingham for Racing Santander in the 移転 window, （人命などを）奪う，主張するd his third goal in as many games as he 長，率いるd home Cameron Jerome's 半導体素子 into the six-yard box after Stoke keeper Aasmir Begovic had 流出／こぼすd David Bentley's low 運動.

'He has become a fixture in the team as become more 積極的な,' said delighted Birmingham boss Alex McLeish.

'We know he's 有能な of finishing and, if we get that type of 配達／演説／出産 to him in the box, there aren't a lot of defenders who can live with a guy that size.'

Stoke boss Tony Pulis was understandably dejected at 譲歩するing the late 勝利者 and 非難するd his goalkeeper, 主張するing: 'Asmir really should stop it - it has just bobbl ed out of his 手渡すs.

'I don't think they've had a real 発射 or chance for 90 minutes.

'I don't think we deserved to lose the game and it's disappointing.'

Until Zigic's 介入, this scrappy 遭遇（する） looked likely to end in a 行き詰まらせる, with both 味方するs struggling to create （疑いを）晴らす-削減（する） chances.

Zigic enjoyed かもしれない the best chance in the first half, 長，率いるing over Seb Larsson's third-minute cross from the 権利 側面に位置する, while Jermaine Pennant 供給するd Stoke's most potent 脅し, whistling a 30th-minute 解放する／自由な-kick just wide.

Stoke （人命などを）奪う，主張するd Roger Johnson had 扱うd in the area 中途の through the second half, while former Newcastle striker Obafemi ツバメs, making his Birmingham debut after 調印 on 貸付金 from ロシアの club Rubin Kazam, believed Ryan Shawcross had 押し進めるd him.

かもしれない the biggest 刑罰，罰則 控訴，上告 was 解任するd by 審判（をする） 示す Halsey when Bentley's 十分な-血d 発射 攻撃する，衝突する defender Robert Huth's raised arm, but he won a （死）刑の執行猶予（をする） after すぐに clutching his 直面する.