Paul Furlong kept alive Birmingham's play-off hopes with a stunning return to
action at St Andrews.
Furlong struck with a ninth-minute header and 34th-minute penalty to take his
goals tally for the season to 18.
Bryan Hughes completed a comfortable win with the third goal in the 82nd
minute as Swindon again struggled in front of goal.
Furlong had not started a match since playing against Middlesbrough on
February 7 due to a three-match ban and a thigh strain.
But the former Chelsea forward quickly made up for his absence as Birmingham
put Swindon to the sword.
Birmingham had already given Swindon a warning of what to expect after just
three minutes when left-back Simon Charlton drilled a 20-yard drive past Fraser
Digby's post.
Swindon failed to heed the danger down the left flank and paid the penalty six
minutes later when midfielder Hughes floated over a cross. Furlong rose
powerfully on the edge of the six-yard box to power home a header.
Swindon tried to catch Birmingham on the break with Mark Walters doing his
best to urge the team forward.
But despite the eager running of Swindon strikers Chris Hay and Steve Finney,
Town failed to test City goalkeeper Ian Bennett.
Swindon have averaged less than a goal per game this season and their problems
were illustrated perfectly by the fact they did not get a single shot on target
during the entire match.
Birmingham put the game out of Swindon's reach 11 minutes before the break
when Furlong converted from the penalty spot.
He had won the spot-kick himself when brought down by defender Craig Taylor as
he tried to convert a cross from Jon McCarthy. Furlong picked himself up to send
Digby the wrong way.
Digby was overworked after the break and kept the scoreline down with smart
second-half saves from Charlton, Hughes, Martin O'Connor and McCarthy.
But he was powerless to prevent Hughes from increasing Birmingham's advantage
with a curling shot from the edge of the area eight minutes from time.
Teams:
Birmingham: Bennett, Gill, Charlton, Bruce (Purse 88), Johnson,
Marsden, McCarthy, O'Connor (Robinson 69), Adebola, Hughes,
Furlong (Forster 85).
Goals: Furlong 9, 34 pen, Hughes 82.
Swindon: Digby, Kerslake, Davis, Taylor, Bullock, Borrows,
Walters, Collins (Gooden 46), Hay (Cuervo 77), Finney (Cowe 63),
Robinson.
Booked: Davis, Taylor.
Att: 17,016
Ref: W C Burns (Scarborough).
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