Black gamble backfires on Blues

Goalkeeper Richard Kingson´s horrendous blunder and a superb strike from Niko Kranjcar piled on the misery for managerless Birmingham and kept Harry Redknapp´s side on course for a European spot with a 2-0 win.

Caretaker manager Eric Black gambled on dropping the experienced Maik Taylor but the move backfired as Kingson, on his Barclays Premier League debut, allowed a shot from Sulley Muntari to slip under his body.

Then Kranjcar, scorer of Croatia´s first goal against England via Scott Carson´s blunder, drilled home a superb free-kick with eight minutes remaining.

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