BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 GLEESON (64) BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

AN inspirational substitution worked wonders for the Blues and paved the way for a home win over Rovers, following a second-half goal from Stephen Gleeson.

Not for the first time this season, Birmingham have been indebted to a substitute playing a key role in their success.

On this occasion Diego Fabbrini had only been on the pitch for one minute when he cleverly set up the move for Gleeson’s winner to keep Birmingham in the promotion hunt.

Blackburn, seeking second successive away win, had previously been watertight but succumbed to one of the best moves of the game which ended in Gleeson’s goal.

Birmingham had earlier made known their intentions to pressurise a Blackburn defence which had conceded 19 goals in its previous 10 games.

There was an early scare for Blackburn’s rearguard when David Cotterill easily worked his way clear on the right to arrow a cross to the far post where Jacques Maghoma just failed to make a clean contact. Blackburn recovered from a somewhat shaky start to create several promising moves but, in a game of few real chances in the opening half-hour, the best opportunity fell to Birmingham.

Cotterill, who was given plenty of scope to run at the opposition, displayed some skill when he carefully cut a pass back into the path of Gleeson – only for him to blast over.

In the 52nd minute Adam Legzdins was forced to make a flying save to keep out a goalbound effort from Marvin Emnes.

But a minute after City had introduced Fabbrini, it was the Italian who created the opening for Gleeson to fire his shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.