Supersub Howard Forinton chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for
Birmingham City and move them closer to sealing a place in the Division One
play-offs tonight at the expense of Queens Park Rangers.
Forinton, who joined the Blues for £70,000 from Yeovil Town two seasons ago,
increased the relegation fears of Rangers with an 86th-minute header.
The goal earned Birmingham their first win in six games but sentenced Rangers
to their sixth defeat in their last seven away games.
Forinton was a 55th-minute replacement for Graham Hyde, and before he struck
Birmingham had dominated proceedings but once again struggled in attack.
In the absence of injured forwards Paul Furlong and Dele Adebola, Birmingham
turned to a new-look strikeforce of on-loan Lee Bradbury and Peter Ndlovu.
Bradbury, on loan from Crystal Palace, saw a fifth-minute snap shot deflected
for a corner as Birmingham sought to improve on a recent run of just five points
from five games.
Goalkeeper Lee Harper then came to the rescue of Rangers in the 11th minute
with a smart save from Bryan Hughes after Gary Rowett had whipped in a
right-wing cross.
While Rangers had to soak up plenty of pressure, they did impress when they
ventured forward with Leon Jeanne and Chris Kiwomya posing problems for the
Birmingham defence with their pace.
But it was Birmingham who always looked the most likely team to break the
deadlock. Ndlovu chipped over the bar in the 15th minute before Harper did well
again to hold a fierce free-kick from Rowett four minutes later.
When Rangers did create a clear-cut opening of their own, it was handed to
them by Birmingham in the 30th minute.
Hughes miscued a clearance and the ball fell invitingly to full-back Ian
Barraclough, who fired in a first-time volley that City goalkeeper Kevin Poole
dived acrobatically across his goal to save at full stretch.
But it was the form of Harper that was proving important for Rangers as he
denied Ndlovu in the 42nd minute before reserving his best save to thwart
Bradbury in the 65th.
A through ball from central defender Michael Johnson sent Bradbury clear, and
he roared down on goal with only Harper to beat.
But his fierce drive from the edge of the area was expertly beaten away by
Harper.
Harper looked to be in unbeatable form but he was powerless to prevent
Forinton earning Birmingham a deserved win just four minutes from time to leave
Rangers looking anxiously over their shoulders.
His goal owed much to the attacking intentions of Rowett, who once again
curled over another accurate cross that Forinton headed home from six yards.
Teams
Birmingham: Poole, Rowett, Grainger, Hyde (Holland 55),
Holdsworth, Johnson, McCarthy (Forinton 55), Robinson,
Bradbury, Hughes, Ndlovu (Wassall 86).
Booked: Holdsworth.
Goals: Forinton 85.
QPR: Harper, Breacker, Baraclough, Heinola (Murray 12), Ready,
Maddix, Rowland, Peacock, Jeanne (Dowie 86), Slade, Kiwomya.
Subs Not Used: Linighan.
Booked: Breacker.
Att: 20,888
Ref: A Butler (Sutton-in-Ashfield).
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