A stirring second half performance helped Birmingham turn the game around at
Bramall Lane and kept their promotion quest on track.
A Rob Kozluk own goal and a Bryan Hughes header within two second-half minutes
helped overturn Marcus Bent's first-half opener.
It was Trevor Francis' side's ninth win in 11 Division One games and keeps
them in the hunt for a play-off place at the very least.
The defeat was Neil Warnock's first as manager at Bramall Lane, having taken
over the job in early December.
The match was delayed by 15 minutes after an accident on the nearby M1 held up
the visiting supporters, but their side started the better of the two teams when
the game finally got underway.
Martin Grainger forced Simon Tracey to tip over his bar in the third minute
and Darren Purse glanced a header wide moments later after flurry of corners.
Blues skipper Martin O'Connor dragged a shot wide after an incisive
10th-minute breakaway but almost immediately United took the lead at the other
end with their first shot on goal.
Curtis Woodhouse slipped the ball through Birmingham's back line for Bent to
beat the offside trap and bear down on visiting keeper Ian Bennett.
The former Port Vale striker cut in from the left and curled the ball around
the keeper, Bennett getting his fingertips to the ball but unable to keep out
Bent's 16th goal of the season.
Former Blade Marcelo tested Tracey with a 12-yard header as Birmingham created
all the chances.
Francis' fifth place side would have been level in the 27th minute but for a
howler from Grainger.
Kozluk was guilty or over elaboration on the right-hand side of his area and
was robbed by Michael Johnson, the left-back squaring for Grainger who somehow
failed to connect with the ball in the six-yard box.
Woodhouse had to head off his own line after the ball had ping-ponged around
the area following a Grainger corner, but despite the Blues' pressure they could
not find an equaliser before half-time.
In fact, it was only goalkeeper Bennett's quick thinking that kept them in
touch, the keeper racing out of his area to rob Laurent D'Jaffo as the striker
chased Bent's flick-on.
And it was Bennett who saved the Blues again two minutes into the second
period. Paul Devlin jinked his way down the right before crossing for Bobby
Ford, whose first time half-volley was brilliantly turned away by Bennett.
Having had their keeper to thank for retaining parity, Birmingham turned the
game on its head with two goals in two minutes.
First, Hughes' cross from the right was struck past his own goalkeeper by
Kozluk under pressure from Stan Lazaridis.
Then, Australian Lazaridis became provider as Birmingham took a 54th-minute
lead.
His cross from the left was powered into the net by Hughes' head, Tracey once
again given no chance.
Kozluk paid the price for his blunder, Warnock withdrawing him immediately
after the visitors' second goal.
Hughes and substitute Dele Adebola both had chances to increase the lead for
the visitors but Tracey saved well on both occasions.
United rallied to find an equaliser, but despite eight minutes of injury-time
they could not muster a reply and Warnock's unbeaten run was ended.
Teams:
Sheff Utd: Tracey, Kozluk (Woodward 55),
Gysbrechts (Wilson 62), Sandford, Quinn, Devlin, Brown, Ford,
Woodhouse, Bent, D'Jaffo.
Subs Not Used: Hamilton, Ribeiro, Duke.
Goals: Bent 10.
Birmingham: Bennett, Rowett, Purse, Holdsworth, M. Johnson,
Grainger, Hughes, O'Connor, Lazaridis (Hyde 78),
Furlong (Adebola 69), Marcelo (Rankin 90).
Subs Not Used: Poole, Campbell.
Booked: Furlong.
Goals: Kozluk 52 og, Hughes 54.
Att: 15,486
Ref: T Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe).
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