Super sub Nicky Forster helped to strengthen Birmingham's promotion hopes as
struggling Portsmouth were swept aside at St Andrews.
Transfer-listed Forster replaced Paul Furlong at half-time and was only on the
pitch for four minutes when he put Birmingham into the lead.
He also set up two-goal Dele Adebola's second strike as Portsmouth failed to
take advantage of taking a fourth-minute lead from on-loan Guy Whittingham.
Midfielder Bryan Hughes set the seal on Birmingham's victory with a fine
84th-minute solo goal.
Portsmouth made a dream start when striker John Durnin was sent clear by Sammy
Igoe and held off the challenge of the City central defender Michael Johnson to
float over an accurate centre.
Whittingham bustled his way into the area and powered a close-range header
past stranded City goalkeeper Kevin Poole to record his sixth goal in six
games.
The strike stunned high-flying Birmingham, but they stuck to their task and
forced their way back on to level terms after 25 minutes.
Adebola, who had been left out of the starting line-up in the previous three
games, used his pace and power to fire Birmingham back on to level terms.
He raced clear from midfield and held off the challenge of two Portsmouth
defenders before firing a drive past Portsmouth goalkeeper Alan Knight from 15
yards which crashed into the back of the net from off the underside of the bar.
Birmingham's manager Trevor Francis sent on Forster to replace Furlong at the
break and the move paid immediate dividends when Forster powered home a header
following a right-wing cross from Bryan Hughes.
The pace of Forster was causing major problems for Portsmouth and he turned
creator in the 59th minute to set the seal on Birmingham's success.
Forster raced clear and only had Knight to beat but rolled the ball into the
path of Adebola who fired home his 14th goal of the season.
The impressive Hughes then completed the rout by racing clear from midfield
and beating Knight with a mis-hit shot from 12 yards six minutes from time.
The defeat was only Portsmouth's second in eight games, but leaves them still
in the thick of the relegation battle while City's win has firmly kept up their
bid to win automatic promotion.
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