Furlong fires Birmingham into the top three

Huddersfield Town 0 Birmingham City 1

Birmingham City's progress this season, camouflaged by the number of games they had played, was unmasked at the McAlpine Stadium last night when they moved into the First Division's top three. They look a team who will be hard to displace from the promotion places.

Paul Furlong's goal after 39 minutes preserved their unbeaten record and moved them to within a point of the leaders West Bromwich Albion with a game in hand. Equally satisfying for the Birmingham manager, Trevor Francis, is that only Stockport have scored against his side this season.

Francis had reason to believe his side was taking shape when they finished last term with an unbeaten 10-game flourish, but they appear to have advanced again. Furlong was a handful throughout while Peter Ndlovu's pace and dribbling will trouble better defences than Huddersfield's.

The visitors might have gone ahead after 35 seconds, Furlong getting in front of his marker for the first of numerous occasions to glance the ball backwards on to the bar, while Paul Devlin could have had a hat-trick.

After 48 minutes he was inches away after Furlong had released him with a lovely reverse pass and his free-kick three minutes later flashed just wide. Devlin was even nearer after 64 minutes, when he won the race for Furlong's flick with Steve Francis and his lob was so close the Birmingham bench were on their feet ready to applaud before it bounced by the post.

The celebrations had been premature then, but the visitors had to wait only five minutes to do it for real. Bryan Hughes delivered a lovely pass from the right flank through the Huddersfield back four and Furlong beat Francis with his left foot for his third goal of the season.

Huddersfield, who await their first League win, hit the bar with a venomous 20-yard shot from Wayne Burnett after 16 minutes but will rue Alex Dyer's point-blank miss after 75 minutes even more. For them the winter looks almost as bleak as it is promising for Birmingham.

Huddersfield Town (4-4-2): S Francis; Jenkins, Dyson, (Edwards, 51), Gray, Martin; Baldry, Burnett, Makel, Browning (Facey, 73); Dyer (Beresford, 80) Stewart.

Birmingham City (3-5-2) Bennett; Wassall, Bruce, Ablett; Hey (Holland, h/t), Hughes, Ndlovu, O'Connor, Grainger; Furlong, Devlin (K Francis, 77). Substitute not used: Johnson.

Referee: D Laws (Whitley Bay).