Gavin Williams struck in the 89th minute to give the Blues a deserved 1-0 victory over Birmingham City. The second half sub volleyed home Gary Roberts's cross after Town had had the ball repeatedly cleared off the Birmingham line, had a penalty call turned down and had hit the woodwork.

Boss Jim Magilton made two changes from the side utilised for the previous four games. Billy Clarke took over from Jon Macken up front and Matt Richards came in for Gavin Williams in midfield. Macken and fellow loanee Simon Walton were in the squad for the final time before the end of their loan spells.

Clarke struck the first shot of the game in the fourth minute, forcing Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor to push the ball wide, the Northern Irishman claiming it at the second attempt ahead of Matt Richards and Dan Harding.

On 10 Clarke played in Richards, a challenge ricocheting the ball out to Roberts, who hit a looping shot which struck the upright and fell safely. The visitors broke quickly and Price rushed out of his goal before missing his kick, leaving himself stranded to the left of the penalty area. Fortunately Dan Harding was closer to the ball than DJ Campbell and the Town defender cleared.

Town's need of a regular right-back was again exposed in the 14th minute when Gary McSheffrey escaped Alex Bruce and crossed towards Fabrice Muamba, who volleyed over when he should at least have hit the target.

Legwinski headed a Roberts freekick wide as Town continued to control the game. Matt Richards hooked back a deep Billy Clarke cross in the 17th minute but Alan Lee couldn't direct his header goalwards. Three minutes later, Lee played in Clarke on the left of the area, but the youngster struck his shot across the face of goal.

Town had the ball cleared off the line twice in the 27th minute from a Gary Roberts corner. First Richard Naylor's header was blocked then Sylvain Legwinski's follow-up.

Lee had a left-foot shot saved by Taylor, prior to Birmingham coming close to going in front. Stephen Kelly crossed from the right and Nicklas Bendtner headed onto the top of Price's cross bar.

There was a further scare for the Blues in the 42nd minute when a leisurely Price was almost beaten to a Naylor back pass by Campbell. Fortunately for Town, the loose ball flew straight to Legwinski, who tidied up.

Roberts shot over from 25 yards, before Mathew Sadler got his name in the referee's book for a foul on Gary Roberts. The former Accrington Stanley man's freekick bounced through a crowd of players to keeper Taylor.

As at St Andrew's earlier in the season the Blues had more than matched the league leaders in the first half. Town had again passed the ball around tidily and had created one or two decent chances. However, at the other end, Nicklas Bendtner in particular had shown that the visitors have the potential to be a threat in front of goal.

Billy Clarke picked up a caution seven minutes into the second half for a foul on DJ Campbell on halfway. Soon after, the ball was again headed off the Birmingham line, Clarke having diverted a deep Matt Richards corner goalwards at the far post but Mathew Sadler managing to scramble away.

Sadler again came to his side's rescue in the 64th minute, Naylor nodding another Richards corner towards the target, but the Birmingham defender once more getting his head in the way.

Boss Jim Magilton switched around in the 69th minute, replacing the tiring Billy Clarke with Gavin Williams and moving to a 4-5-1 formation, the Welshman playing ahead of Legwinski and Garvan in the centre of midfield.

Williams was immediately into the action inside the Birmingham area, flicking the ball into the path of Matt Richards only for a defender's toe to stab the ball out of play. Referee Andy D'Urso inexplicably awarded a goalkick.

On 73 Lewis Price was caught out of his ground to the right of the penalty area after Alex Bruce had lost possession to McSheffrey. The former Coventry man crossed into the box and, with the goal keeperless, De Vos blocked Bentner's flick.

Referee D'Urso failed to give the Blues another corner when a Richards freekick was headed out of play at the far post and then again when a Lee shot hit not one but two Birmingham players on its way out of play.

With 12 minutes left on the clock Danny Haynes was introduced for Richards, moving to a right midfield position and Gary Roberts switching flank.

Sadler was extremely fortunate not to receive his second yellow card of the game on 82 for a cynical block on Alan Lee on the edge of the box. Roberts's freekick was deflected out for a corner, which for once Andy D'Urso gave, to huge sarcastic cheers from the North Stand. A smile was even visible on the official's face as Roberts sent in the kick, which appeared to strike Stephen Clemence's arm before Haynes hooked it wide. Town appealed long and hard for a spotkick, but D'Urso was unmoved.

Simon Walton replaced Owen Garvan for the final eight minutes or so, the Charlton man making the final appearance of his loan spell.

The goal the Blues deserved finally came as the game entered the penultimate minute. Legwinski won the ball on halfway and found Lee, who played it wide to Roberts on the left. The midfielder whipped in a cross to the far post where an unmarked Williams met it on the volley and sent it back across Taylor and into the net before celebrating in front of the North Stand.

Injury time included one scare, Legwinski once again being penalised for the ball striking his hand at point-blank range, this time on the edge of the box. McSheffrey lashed his freekick into the Town wall and then ballooned his rebound into the top tier of the Greene King Stand.

Andy D'Urso's whistle received its final blast soon after and Portman Road erupted after one of the season's best results and performances so far.

Town were the better side throughout, as they had been at St Andrew's back in October, but on this occasion the Blues failed to make the defensive errors which gifted the Midlanders a point on their home ground.

Aside from Bentner's first half header off the bar, Lewis Price was rarely forced to save, while Steve Bruce had Mathew Sadler's on-line clearances to thank for his side's defeat not being more convincing.

The win sealed a generally positive Christmas period for the Blues. The excellent victory at Coventry was followed by a good performance at West Brom, even if the result was poor, and finally a confidence-boosting and merited win over one of the favourites to win the division.

Town: Price, Bruce, Harding, De Vos, Naylor, Legwinski, Garvan (Walton 82), Richards (Haynes 78), Roberts, Lee, Clarke (Williams 69). Unused: Supple, Macken. Att: 22,436.

Photo: Action Images

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