7 mins: Darren Purse is forced to make a fine last ditch tackle to deny Youri Djorkaeff a clean run on goal.

12 mins: Clinton Morrison wriggled free on the right and crossed for the unmarked Lazaridis at the near post where his flick was turned away for a corner by the agile Jaaskelainen.

27 mins: Purse again has to make an important block to turn Michael Ricketts' close range shot away for a corner.

Half time: Birmingham 0

Wanderers 0

55mins: Jay Jay Okocha unleashed a thunderous drive from 30 yards which beat Nico Vaesen all ends up and crashed against the top of the crossbar.

GOAL

61 mins: Darren Purse is in the right place as a corner finds him on the edge of the box and he blasts his shot low into Jaaskelainen's right hand corner.

66 mins: Wanderers go down to ten men when Ricardo Gardner is dismissed for a second bookable offence.

GOAL

71 mins: Whitlow skinned his defender to get to the by-line and cross to the far post where Okocha blasted a stunning volley inside the near post.

GOAL

72 mins: Savage escaped the Wanderers defence and rounded Jaaskelainen to slot home.

75 mins: Morrison cut back for John to hit a rasping drive which Jaaskelainen parried. Wanderers went straight up the other end and Frandsen stung Vaesen's hands with an equally powerful rising shot from 20 yards.

81 mins: Dean Holdsworth turns two defenders sharply and cracks in a shot which Vaesen saves at point blank range.

GOAL

83 mins: Morrison tries to chip Jaaskelainen who parries his effort against a post and Geoff Horsfield follows up to turn in the rebound.

86 mins: Birmingham outnumber Wanderers on the break and Morrison shoots across the face of goal.

Full time:

Birmingham 3 Wanderers 1

Wanderers

(3-5-2)

Jussi Jaaskelainen

Bernard Mendy

Mike Whitlow

Bruno N'Gotty

Per Frandsen

Jay Jay Okocha

Ricardo Gardner

Youri Djorkaeff

Gareth Farrelly

Ivan Campo

Michael Ricketts

Subs: Kevin Poole, Kevin Nolan (for Frandsen 78 mins), Dean Holdsworth (for Ricketts 70 mins), Simon Charlton (for Whitlow 78 mins), Stig Tofting.

Birmingham

(4-4-2)

Nico Vaesen; Jeff Kenna (c), Darren Purse, Kenny Cunningham, Matthew Sadler; Paul Devlin, Robbie Savage, Aliou Cisse, Stan Lazaridis; Stern John, Clinton Morrison. Subs: Ian Bennett, Geoff Horsfield (for Lazaridis 60 mins), Bryan Hughes (for Savage 84 mins), Jovan Kirovski, Darryl Powell (for John 78 mins).

Referee: Chris Foy (St Helens)

Attendance: 27,224.

Shots/headers on target: Birmingham 5, Wanderers: 6.

Corners: Birmingham 8, Wanderers: 5.

Offsides: Birmingham 6, Wanderers: 1.

Fouls: Birmingham 13, Wanderers: 18.

Goals: Birmingham: Purse (61 mins), Savage (72 mins), Horsfield (83 mins). Wanderers: Okocha (71 mins).

Bookings: Birmingham: Morrison (foul, 46 mins), Cisse (foul 62 mins). Wanderers: Mendy (foul, 9 mins), Gardner (foul, 24 mins), Whitlow (obstruction, 41 mins), Djorkaeff (foul, 56 mins), Gardner (foul, 66mins).

Sendings off: Wanderers: Gardner (second bookable foul, 66 mins).

Man of the match

DARREN PURSE - ROCK solid at the heart of a Birmingham defence which gave Wanderers little sight of goal. Capped an excellent display with a stunning opening goal.

Magic moment

JAY Jay Okocha's scintillating volley really deserved to win a game. His technique and timing of the strike was worthy of his world class status.

Moan of the match

WANDERERS' lack of professionalism after getting back on level terms which allowed Robbie Savage to cruise through unchallenged ten seconds later to restore his side's lead.