Birmingham City 2 Blackburn Rovers 1: Forssell fans flames of Birmingham survival bid

Mikael Forssell, spinning to fire the winner with three minutes remaining, not only lifted Birmingham City out of the Premiership relegation zone but also denied their former player Robbie Savage the satisfaction of seeing his first goal for Blackburn Rovers earn a point towards qualification for the Uefa Cup.

Savage had cancelled out Nicky Butt's opener for Birmingham 12 minutes from time after Shefki Kuqi's header to Sergio Peter led to a shot which Maik Taylor could only push into the Welshman's path. But Forssell's first league goal from open play in two years took Birmingham above Portsmouth on goal difference.

Quite apart from the widely differing needs of the two teams, the drama had a spicy sub-plot. Savage made his first return to St Andrew's since forsaking Birmingham for Blackburn on the contentious grounds that the Lancashire club is nearer to his home town of Wrexham.

Steve Bruce, the manager who bought and sold him, predicted with a mischievous twinkle in his eye that Savage would receive a "warm reception". It was more like hot, with the Birmingham crowd booing his every touch as their side pushed back Blackburn from the start.

They might have had a goal to cheer after 12 minutes. Jermaine Pennant's centre reached the far side of the penalty area, where Julian Gray took it on the volley. On a night of heavy rain, the connection was thunderous, but at a perfect height for Brad Friedel to tip the ball over the bar.

Seven minutes later, another right-wing cross, by Damien Johnson, gave Emile Heskey a chance to double his tally for 2006, but he put his header over. Johnson was next to test Friedel before the break only for the American to plunge and parry his 20-yard shot.

Blackburn found it difficult to support Craig Bellamy, who almost joined Birmingham last season. Two minutes before half-time, another player facing his former club, Chris Sutton, failed to touch home Julian Gray's cross from almost on the line, to Bruce's anguish.

The loss of Pennant to injury late in the first half deprived Birmingham of one of their main supply lines. Blackburn drew heart from the hosts' misfortunes, David Bentley and Zurab Khizanishvili finally forcing Maik Taylor to break sweat before the Georgian's glancing header smacked the foot of the far post following Peter's 55th-minute corner.

An announcement on the public-address system appealed to a spectator to go home because his wife had gone into labour. Birmingham also began to labour around the hour mark - but then made the breakthrough. For once they enjoyed the rub of the green when Heskey's miscued shot dropped obligingly for Gray, who steadied himself before crossing low for Butt to turn the ball in at point-blank range.

Birmingham City (4-4-2): Maik Taylor; Tebily, Cunningham, Martin Taylor, Sadler; Pennant (Melchiot, 39), Butt, Johnson, Gray; Sutton, Heskey (Forssell, 67). Substitutes not used: Vaesen (gk), Bruce, Kilkenny.

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-1-1): Friedel; Khizanishvili, Todd (Mokoena, 74), Nelsen, Neill; Emerton (Kuqi, 71), Savage, Reid, Pedersen (Peter, h-t); Bentley; Bellamy. Substitutes not used: Enckelman (gk), Dickov.

Referee: U Rennie (Yorkshire).