Birmingham boss Steve Bruce was rewarded for his bravery as his side plunged Sunderland deep into the relegation mire.

Bruce saw substitutes Jermaine Pennant, Walter Pandiani and Julian Gray combine for the only goal of the game after 68 minutes, ending Birmingham's run of five successive league defeats by inflicting a sixth on the trot on the Black Cats.

Gray pounced from close range to claim the points after goalkeeper Ben Alnwick could only palm away Pandiani's header from a Pennant cross, to give the visitors their reward on an afternoon when the home side rarely threatened.

It was just City's second league win of the season and allowed them to open a four-point lead over Mick McCarthy's men, who have now tasted victory only once in 23 Barclays Premiership games under their manager.

Such a return left the home fans among a crowd of 32,442 trailing home fearing the worst.

But they were comfortably second best against a side who will believe they are in a false position because of their crippling injury list so far this season.

McCarthy's frank assessment of Sunderland efforts in recent weeks will have been still ringing in the team's ears as they took to the pitch.

Their response was initially creditable, with goal-starved striker Jon Stead looking something like the player who burst on to the top-flight scene during his early days at Blackburn.

The team-sheet suggested Birmingham have too much quality to remain near the foot of the table, and with midfielder David Dunn starting a match for the first time since Boxing Day, that gap became apparent on the pitch.

In Dunn, Muzzy Izzet, Neil Kilkenny and Damien Johnson, they dominated midfield, and with Czech Jiri Jarosik working in the hole behind lone striker Emile Heskey, they always looked the more likely to open the scoring.

Birmingham should have been ahead with just nine minutes gone when Kilkenny went through on goal as Sunderland's static defence failed to react when Matthew Upson played a pass over the top.

The youngster took too long over his shot, however, and Gary Breen got back to do just enough to put him off.

Sunderland rallied after that escape and Stead saw a goal-bound effort kicked away by Izzet 12 minutes before the break.

Both managers made changes at half-time, McCarthy sending on Liam Lawrence for the ineffective Andy Welsh and Bruce replacing Jarosik with striker Pandiani and switching from 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 formation.

The Sunderland boss also switched full-backs Hoyte and Nyron Nosworthy, perhaps in an effort to limit Dunn's influence, but the midfielder tested Alnwick with a dipping 51st-minute volley as he demonstrated his rich talent.

Lawrence was having an influence down the left, unlike striker Anthony Le Tallec, whose cross into the crowd on 56 minutes prompted McCarthy to call substitute Chris Brown from the bench.

The youngster, who was recalled from a loan spell at Hull earlier this week, made his entrance in place of the Frenchman on 59 minutes, and he was joined by Birmingham winger Pennant.

It was the latter who made the greater impact, sending in a corner from which Heskey headed over after Pandiani had forced Alnwick to tip away a rising drive, and then firing in a cross which only just evaded Heskey, Pandiani and Dunn.

Dunn's shift came to an end with 65 minutes gone as Gray was asked to bring his pace and trickery to bear, and the new arrival made his mark within three minutes.

Pennant's driven cross was met with a powerful header by Pandiani which Alnwick could only palm away, and Gray was on hand at the far post to slide the rebound into the empty net.

The atmosphere among the home fans, perhaps understandably after the events of the last few weeks, was one of resignation as time ran down, and although Lawrence tested goalkeeper Nico Vaesen with a curling 84th-minute effort, there was little sign of a serious fightback.

Teams:

Sunderland Alnwick, Nosworthy, Breen, Collins, Hoyte, Miller, Whitehead, Bassila (Gray 86), Welsh (Lawrence 45), Stead, Le Tallec (Brown 60).

Subs Not Used: Davis, Caldwell.

Birmingham Vaesen, Cunningham, Martin Taylor, Upson, Melchiot, Johnson, Kilkenny (Pennant 59), Izzet, Dunn (Gray 65), Heskey, Jarosik (Pandiani 45).

Subs Not Used: Maik Taylor, Clemence.

Goals: Gray 68.

Att: 32,442

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).