Birmingham City 1 Fulham 0
Steve Bruce promised supporters an ugly performance and by God, for 45 minutes he was true to his word.
Ladbrokes had stopped taking bets on a goalless draw at half-time, such was the lack of quality as Birmingham huffed, puffed, battled and scrapped, but made no real headway against easily the least ambitious side to set foot in St Andrew's since their return to the Premiership three-and-a-half years ago.
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Even Match of the Day declined to show any highlights of the first half, such was the dire nature of proceedings.
However, what started as an ugly duckling blossomed into a picture of rare beauty as Nicky Butt's decisive header six minutes from time gave Birmingham a precious three points they richly deserved.
Fulham were, quite frankly-dreadful and got what they deserved out of the game; bereft of Luis Boa Morte and Papa Bouba Diop, they had the whiff of a side destined for a relegation battle and their manager, Chris Coleman, will be desperate to fend off the predators when the transfer window opens after Christmas.
But it was Birmingham's day and while it wasn't pretty to watch, they ground down their opponents and lifted a huge albatross off their backs.
Chairman David Gold had spent the entire week tubthumping and describing this future as 'our Dunkirk,' such was the gravity of the situation.
Bruce had warned his players they had to fit in with his new agenda or be ostracised, so the stakes were high.
Seven home games without a win only upped the ante even further and the first half was a microcosm of the season thus far.
The fear of losing far outweighed the desire to win and Emile Heskey must have felt very lonely, as he was isolated from the rest of his team-mates.
Yet the club's record signing is a phlegmatic character who carries on regardless and his prodigious work-rate was rewarded eight minutes after the interval, when Bruce provided him with a partner in Jermaine Pennant.
This re-invigorated Heskey, which in turn provided the team with a fresh impetus and there was a seismic shift in the crowd ' s perception.
They came expecting an afternoon of sweat and toil, even if the ball was treated like a second-class citizen for large chunks of the 90 minutes.
Yet the pendulum swung towards Birmingham in the final quarter and blind faith was replaced by a genuine belief that the tide was turning.
Perhaps they are right, as Birmingham couldn't have cherry-picked more accommodating opposition than Fulham, who used the absence of their best two players as an excuse to produce such turgid fare.
Birmingham's visit to Manchester City next weekend was made far more palatable when the news filtered through from The Hawthorns that Andrew Cole had been sent off and would therefore be unavailable for the fixture. Perhaps the bad karma that has been hanging around St Andrew's is starting to lift.
When the chips are down, managers need players to step up to the plate and Bruce relied on mammoth contributions from two players in particular. Ever-dependable midfielder Stephen Clemence once again proved just what an under-rated player he is and he should be the first name on Bruce's team-sheet for the foreseeable future.
And Heskey has been carrying the goalscoring burden on his shoulders for so long that it wouldn't be a surprise to see him walking with a hunch, but he is as strong as an ox.
It was no surprise that he was instrumental in Butt's late winner and Bruce will be crossing every available digit to ensure that his record signing doesn't fall Injured.
Special mention must also go to Premiership debutant Marcos Painter. The 19-yearold looked every inch a Premiership footballer in his leftback role.
Predominantly a defensiveminded player - and there is nothing wrong with the concept of a defender who can actually defend - his inclusion was just the fillip supporters needed after complaints of lack of passion in recent fixtures.
He is the first local player to be given a full league debut by Bruce since Darren Carter during his first season in charge and his commitment levels were infectious.
Bruce's celebrations when Butt scored were reminiscent of a previous incumbent of the St Andrew's hot-seat, Barry Fry.
His rampaging run along the touchline was only halted by an Olivier Tebily bear-hug and he knew just how important that Butt goal was.
Not only has it dragged Fulham back into the pack at the bottom of the table, but also it has ensured that his own team won't be cut adrift when the transfer window reopens after Christmas.
He can go cap in hand to the owners and plead a more convincing case for funds to bolster his squad for the forthcoming relegation battle.
Bruce knows that any points procured from the next four fixtures can be classed as a bonus and he has already earmarked certain games as 'must win.'
Home dates against Wigan, Portsmouth and Sunderland by the end of February will be critical. Even if it promises to be a bleak Christmas in terms of points for Birmingham, the long-term future suddenly looks far brighter.
