Cameron Jerome has received the full sympathy of his Birmingham City team-mates after finding himself banned as the result of an over- zealous goal celebration.

The Blues striker picked up the ball and whacked it back into the roof of the net a couple of times after scoring his side's late third goal in Saturday's 3-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

That earned him a booking from referee Graham Laws, his fifth of the season, which means an automatic one-match suspension for Saturday's trip to Southend United  -  a fate that also befell on-loan Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who also now has five bookings.

Although Jerome is far from the first footballer to be punished for celebrating a goal, it is clear that the powers given to officials on this issue are as unpopular in the dressing room as they are on the terraces and require reviewing.

"It's a bit of a crazy rule," said Blues' top marksman Gary McSheffrey, who scored his 13th goal of the season at Hillsborough and was the only scorer of the afternoon not to receive a talking-to from Mr Laws. "To get booked for celebrating when you've scored a goal is just shocking.

"We're away from home against a team doing well under a new manager and Cameron hadn't scored for a while and had put in one hell of a performance.

"All he's done is kick the ball in the net a couple of times. It's not like he's taken his shirt off or celebrated with the fans or kicked the ball away.

"It was just a way of getting his frustration out that he'd scored a goal and it's a goal he deserved."

Stand-in skipper Stephen Clemence, who also get a telling-off from Mr Laws after scoring Blues' first goal, but was let off what would have been his own fifth yellow card of the campaign, could only think of one consolation at losing Jerome at Roots Hall.

"The good thing is that he hasn't got to wait long after Southend," said Clemence.

"The games come thick and fast over the Christmas period. He'll be nice and fresh for Boxing Day and it says a lot about our squad that we can cover for him and Seb Larsson."

Clemence was also pleased that, after the setback of a red card on his Blues debut back in August, Jerome is at last settling down and producing the form that earned him jointsecond place in the Championship scoring stakes last season. That persuaded manager Steve Bruce to part with #3million for him. "I said to Cameron after he scored: 'Keep working as hard as you have and you'll get the rewards', said Clemence. "And he has done.

"It wasn't easy. When you're a goalscorer who's not been finding the net you can get too much time but considering he had such a long time to think, he still stuck the chance away very well."

McSheffrey agreed that Jerome has been one of Blues' unsung heroes in their run of nine wins in 11 league games over the last two months. "He's like a steam train. Defenders must be looking over their shoulder all the time," he said.

"He's young and hungry and an honest lad. He'll get into double figures again.

He can do a bit on the ball, but his teamwork is awesome. We all appreciate that and the fans do."

What the fans also appreciate is to see their team top of the league at halfway. Although there are now two enforced changes to make, with fit-again Damien Johnson expected to be ready to return and DJ Campbell itching for another chance, everything appears to be taking care of itself for Blues.

"We're where we want to be," said McSheffrey. "Seven points clear of third place. That's a good cushion and we'd certainly have taken that two months ago."