Birmingham kept the pressure on Championship leaders Wolves with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Watford.
Birmingham keep pressure on Wolves with 3-2 win
Birmingham kept the pressure on Championship leaders Wolves with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Watford.
The Hornets opened the scoring through Tamas Priskin after seven minutes but Kevin Phillips equalised with his 10th goal of the season just moments later.
Marcus Bent then fired Blues in front on 18 minutes and Cameron Jerome added a third five minutes from time, before Ross Jenkins scored a late consolation goal for Watford.
Priskin opened the scoring for the Hornets in their Carling Cup quarter-final defeat by Tottenham in midweek and looked dangerous in the opening minutes.
The Hungarian was twice denied by an offside flag when clean through in the opening five minutes but punished the hosts' porous defence at the third time of asking in the seventh minute.
Liam Bridcutt poked a pass through and Priskin kept his cool to plant a shot across Maik Taylor.
But Brendan Rodgers' side failed to capitalise on their bright start and Birmingham raced back to respond within a minute.
A brisk passing move ended with on-loan Bolton defender Nicky Hunt finding himself in space on the left wing and his cross evaded the Hornets defence to allow Phillips to head home against his former club.
The goal appeared to shake Watford's confidence and Alex McLeish's side took the lead in the 18th minute.
Sebastian Larsson fed in a cross from the right to Bent on the edge of the area and the striker arrowed in a drive which caught goalkeeper Scott Loach by surprise and flew into the top corner.
Phillips wasted a good chance to grab another goal on the half-hour mark when he miscued a shot at the back post before the whistle went for half-time.
Dangerous
Blues defender Radhi Jaidi headed a dangerous Tommy Smith free-kick away from under his own crossbar as Watford started the second period brightly before another set-piece nearly brought them an equaliser.
There appeared little danger when centre-half Leigh Bromby lined up a free-kick 30 yards from goal but the former Sheffield United man caught his strike perfectly to leave Taylor watching on as the ball smacked the crossbar.
It was a let-off for McLeish's side and they should have put the game beyond any doubt with their next attack.
Again Larsson provided the danger down the right and his floated cross found Franck Queudrue unmarked at the back post but he hooked a volley wide of the target.
Substitute Jerome then wasted a good chance after he burst clear of the defence but his low shot was parried by Loach before he had a goal disallowed for a foul.
But Jerome did get on the scoresheet with five minutes remaining when he curled beyond Loach from the edge of the area.
Jenkins grabbed an 89th-minute goal for the visitors when he volleyed home a Smith corner from close range for his first goal for the club.
