A devastating goal by Jermaine Pennant kept alive Birmingham City's 100 per cent record on their pre-season tour of Norway at the Viking Stadion on Saturday night.

The £ 3 million winger showed David Beckham-like ability to whip a free kick over the defensive wall and leave Viking Stavanger goalkeeper Anthony Basso rooted to the spot.

The ball cannoned on to the base of the post and spun over the line behind the goalkeeper in the 44th minute.

It gave Blues the advantage they never looked like losing and they have yet to concede a goal in their two matches so far.

Blues sent on Mikael Forrsell for the second half and he came agonisingly close to opening his account for the season soon after.

Olivier Tebily created panic in the Stavanger defence when he stormed forward to the edge of the penalty area and then Forssell took over. He made room for himself to shoot by getting the ball out from under his feet and rolled his shot across the goalkeeper but off the post.

The ball popped back up on the left where another halftime substitute Darren Anderton stretched out his leg but could only divert it high on to the post.

Stavanger, who had played in the Uefa Cup qualifiers the Thursday before, made five changes at the break and the match opened up.

Forssell was obviously in the mood as he was unfortunate again in the 65th minute after Clinton Morrison, who had just come on for Emile Heskey, set him up.

Morrison laid the ball back invitingly and Forssell, after taking a touch, let rip with a rasping drive that was too hot for Iven Austbo to clutch, but his parry was good enough to protect his goal.

Blues' first effort on goal came from the unlikely source of Tebily, who was in at rightback for the rested Mario Melchiot. He cut inside from the flank and fired a left-footer low, but wide, to the near post.

Tebily again, minutes later, stormed forward and let rip with his favoured right foot but once again the accuracy wasn't there.

Heskey came alive in the 36th minute when he took possession of the ball 25 yards out, turned his marker and laid it quickly ahead to Njazi Kuqi. His Finnish strike partner touched it back to him first time and Heskey, barreling into the penalty area, squeezed a rising shot that only just cleared the bar.

Stavanger's chunky forward Nhleko caused problems due to his pace.

In the 39th minute he should have put his side ahead when Gaarde released him in behind the Blues defence after getting the better of a midfield skirmish.

It was as if Nhleko had too much time to decide what to do as he squared up to Vaesen.

He executed a couple of shimmies before trying to round Vaesen to his right but the goalkeeper read his intentions superbly and dived at his feet to snatch the ball cleanly away.

Blues made Stavanger pay for spurning such a gilt edged chance when Pennant curled his free kick over the defensive wall and in off the post.