A superb shot from Michael Hughes and Patrick Agyemang's injury-time strike
earned all three points for Wimbledon as Birmingham's bid for a promotion
play-off place suffered a real blow with their first defeat in six Nationwide
First Division games.
The home side were aiming to build on three wins and two draws that had lifted
them into seventh place, but a missed penalty by Tommy Mooney denied them what
would have been the opening goal of the game.
It was a bad day for Birmingham who lost central defender Steve Vickers with a
foot injury and were then undone by Hughes' skill, whose rising 80th-minute shot
gave goalkeeper Ian Bennett no chance, and Agyemang's late goal.
Wimbledon's slick passing game meant they had the better of the first half
even if Birmingham had the only effort on target.
Wimbledon's Damien Francis had two early chances. He was played in on the left
side of the area by David Connolly's pass but Francis slipped as he went to
shoot.
Good work by Connolly on the edge of the Birmingham area again set up Francis,
but he shot wide across goal from 20 yards.
The home side carved out the best chance of the half but were denied by Kelvin
Davies in the Wimbledon goal.
Bryan Hughes was twice involved in the move. He found Marcelo wide in the
Wimbledon area and the Brazilian's cut-back found Polish international Arek Bak
on the edge of the area.
His shot was flicked on by Hughes straight into the arms of Davies.
Birmingham lost Vickers with a foot injury and he was replaced by David
Burrows, before Grainger was booked for a foul on Darren Holloway.
Birmingham's Darren Purse was booked early in the second half after
questioning referee Howard Webb's decision to give a free-kick given against the
home defender.
Stan Lazaridis, a half-time substitute for Martin O'Connor, was causing
Wimbledon problems and he forced a corner which Grainger took only for Marcelo's
header to be deflected wide for another corner.
Mooney then set up a Birmingham move in the 61st minute when his pass sent
Geoff Horsfield racing clear.
The striker was felled as Jermaine Darlington and Trond Anderson closed in but
Mooney blazed the spot-kick over the bar.
Davies was quickly off his line to block from Horsfield and then Bennett did
the same to deny Darlington as the game opened up.
Wimbledon manager Terry Burton went for a double substitution when he brought
on Peter Hawkins for the injured Darlington and Agyemang for Connolly.
As the game looked to be heading for a draw Hughes broke the deadlock with a
30-yard left-foot shot in the 80th minute.
Neal Ardley had seen his shot blocked and Francis slipped the ball to Northern
Ireland international Hughes whose shot left Bennett with no chance.
Horsfield had a chance to level the scores from eight yards but when Lazaridis
picked him out with a clever flighted ball he volleyed across goal with the
inside of his right foot.
Agyemang wrapped up the points in stoppage time with a low shot under Bennett
after Ardley's pass had set him up 15 yards out.
Teams:
Birmingham: Bennett, Kenna, Purse, Vickers (Burrows 36),
Grainger, Hughes, O'Connor (Lazaridis 45), Bak, Mooney,
Horsfield, Marcelo (McCarthy 70).
Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Woodhouse.
Booked: Grainger, Purse.
Wimbledon: Davis, Cunningham, Andersen, Cooper,
Darlington (Hawkins 68), Holloway, Ardley, Francis, Hughes,
Shipperley, Connolly (Agyemang 67).
Subs Not Used: Heald, Willmott, McAnuff.
Goals: Hughes 80, Agyemang 90.
Att: 17,766
Ref: H Webb (Rotherham).
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