Franck Queudrue's 87th-minute header secured Birmingham three huge points against Bristol City and moved the midlands club back into the automatic promotion places in the Coca-Cola Championship.

A much-improved Blues side dominated their fellow promotion hopefuls for large spells of the encounter at St Andrew's but looked set to rue a series of wasted opportunities.

Centre-backs Radhi Jaidi and Martin Taylor both hit the crossbar, while Lee Bowyer headed wide from close range and saw goalkeeper Adriano Basso produce a superb stop to deny him in the opening stages.

It was nothing less than the hosts deserved, but it could have been so different had former Blues striker Dele Adebola not wasted a great chance after only two minutes, dragging his shot across goal and wide after being sent clear.

The victory, coupled with Birmingham's win at Ashton Gate earlier in the season, meant Blues became the first side to record a league double over Bristol City since their promotion to the Championship in 2007.

Alex McLeish targeted six points from the club's next two games and he will see the first stage as mission accomplished - although the Blues faithful must have thought the breakthrough was never going to come.

Having missed the chance to break the deadlock early on through Adebola, the Robins were indebted to Basso for preventing them from going behind just minutes later.

The ball found its way to Cameron Jerome inside the penalty area and he flicked it on to Marcus Bent, who then set up Bowyer but the on-loan midfielder could only watch in despair as Basso somehow tipped his close-range effort over the crossbar.

Both sides showed plenty of endeavour and attacking intent and it was Blues who next went close as Jaidi's header from Sebastian Larsson's corner came back off the bar.

Blues were enjoying a solid spell of pressure that had brought eight corners inside the opening 30 minutes.

And McLeish's side were still pressing in the closing stages of the half - Basso again doing well to keep out Keith Fahey's header and Larsson's free-kick.

Birmingham soon imposed their authority again at the start of the second half and it was Taylor, Jaidi's centre-back partner, who was next to see an effort hit the woodwork.

Lee Carsley floated a great ball over the visiting defence and Taylor managed to somehow flick over Basso, only for his effort to hit the underside of the bar and get scrambled to safety by defender Jamie McAllister.

McLeish must have been wondering how many chances his side needed to break the deadlock when an unmarked Bowyer flashed his header wide from merely four yards shortly after the hour mark.

In a rare foray into Birmingham's defensive third, Gavin Williams forced Maik Taylor into a fairly routine save to his right before Nicky Maynard cleared the bar with an effort.

But the scene was set for Queudrue to powerfully head home Lee Bowyer's corner with just minutes remaining and send the home crowd into raptures.

Teams

Birmingham Maik Taylor, Carr, Jaidi, Martin Taylor, Queudrue,Larsson, Carsley, Bowyer, Fahey, Jerome (Sinclair 90),Bent (Costly 79).

Subs Not Used: Doyle, De la Cruz, Johnson.

Goals: Queudrue 87.

Bristol City Basso, Orr, Fontaine, Carey, McAllister,Sproule (McCombe 81), Skuse (Maynard 71), Johnson, McIndoe,Williams, Adebola (John 64).

Subs Not Used: Weale, Styvar.

Booked: Williams, Carey, Johnson.

Att: 17,551

Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).