Birmingham gave themselves a massive boost in their struggle to avoid relegation by easing past Sunderland at St. Andrews. The hosts were gifted a first half lead by the combined efforts of left back Phil Bardsley and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who simply stared at each other while Sebastian Larrson stole in and slid home. Up to that point, Sunderland had looked good value for a draw, although they weren't producing much cutting-edge football, and the goal rather took the wind out of their sails.
Birmingham City Vs. Sunderland: Hosts Cruise To 2-0 Win
Birmingham added to their misery in the second half after Sunderland had mounted a mini-recovery, scoring against the run of play through Craig Gardner's powerful first-time effort, and from that point the visitors capitulated, failing to trouble Ben Foster's net for the rest of the match. It's yet another disappointing result for Steve Bruce's side, who now find themselves in 15th spot. level on points with Birmingham and just five clear of Blackpool in 18th. Just months ago, it had looked like a European finish was on the cards for the Black Cats, but now it's just a matter of hoping that they don't slide right out of the Premier League.
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