Birmingham City 1 Crystal Palace 0

Garry O’Connor lifted Birmingham City to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship with a lucky but deserved winner in the third minute of added time.

The Scotland international had been cursing his luck as he struck the woodwork on two occasions but he was in the right place at the right time as Palace keeper Julian Speroni palmed Kevin Phillips’ injury time strike on to O’Connor’s chest and into the net, sparking almost riotous celebrations.

It was the first goal Palace had conceded for over seven hours and seven minutes but it was exactly what Blues, and particularly O’Connor, deserved for a dogged performance, although it seemed a breakthrough would not come as the game drifted towards stalemate.

The last thing Blues boss Alex McLeish wanted after the first game of a five-game sequence within 15 days was a glut of injuries, but that was the reality he faced after the battling draw at Burnley on Saturday.
McLeish was robbed of the services of James McFadden, Quincy and David Murphy from the side that took a point from Turf Moor.
 But, to boost his depleted squad, the Blues boss finally completed the loan signing of former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Nigel Quashie and handed teenager Jared Wilson a squad number and a place on the bench.

Franck Queudrue was also handed his first start of the season and the Frenchman was in fine form, defending stoutly and launching several attacks.

Warnock said pre-match that he always relished his visits to St Andrew’s and enjoyed the banter with the Brummie crowd, and this time he had good course to be confident of success as his Palace side had won their three previous fixtures and kept clean sheets in each game.

In contrast, Blues had laboured in Lancashire and McLeish had called for a vast improvement. He certainly got it as Blues bossed the first half and were unlucky not to break the deadlock.

O’Connor in particular was left cursing the gods and the woodwork as Speroni’s left-hand post came to Palace’s rescue on two occasions. The Blues striker was left out of the last Scotland squad but he did his chances of a recall no harm at all as he deftly cut inside Jose Fonte in the 22nd minute before curling a sweet strike that cannoned back off the woodwork and then he rattled the post again ten minutes later with an almost carbon copy effort. Scotland boss George Burley, who was sat in the stands, would have been impressed.

Sebastian Larsson also went close with a trademark curling free kick which was parried by Peroni after Jerome had been cynically tripped by Matt Lawrence on the edge of the Palace area following another swift and impressive Blues counter attack.

O’Connor continued to carry Blues’ greatest goal threat in the second half as he enjoyed arguably his best game for Blues. Twice he forced Peroni to make saves as Blues started brightly but then they began to lose their way and the old uncertainty resurfaced.

As Blues threw more caution to the wind to break down an impressive Palace defence, gaps begun to open up at the back and Stuart Parnaby had to be alert to produce a superb last-ditch tackle to deny substitute Shefki Kuqi who would have been clean through on goal after nutmegging Martin Taylor.

Nick Carle and Craig Beattie also went close with efforts that just sailed over the bar and McLeish threw on Marcus Bent and gave a debut to Quashie in a bid to lift his side. It didn’t seem to be working as Blues grew increasingly frustrated.

But then, in the third minute of added time and just as it seemed it would not be Birmingham’s night, Parnaby sent a deep ball to the far post which found its way to Phillips, who put the decisive ball into the penalty area for O’Connor’s winner.

Scorer: O’Connor (90).
BIRMINGHAM CITY (4-4-2): Maik Taylor, Parnaby, Martin Taylor, Ridgewell, Queudrue, Jerome (Bent 68), Carsley, Larsson, Agustien (Quashie 73), O’Connor, Phillips. Subs: Doyle, Wilson, Nafti.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-5-1): Speroni, Butterfield, Fonte, Lawrence, Hill, Ifill (Ertl 90), Watson, Carle (Danns 83), Derry, Moses (Kuqi 59), Beattie. Subs: Scannell, Foster.
Referee: Nigel Miller (Co Durham)
Bookings: Palace  - Lawrence (foul)
Attendance: 17,706