BIRMINGHAM must be sick of the sight of Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka as the Australian rubbed salt into their relegation wounds with his first Premiership goal for three months. It is now five goals in four matches against the Blues as he scored both in a 2-1 home win last season, and another brace in the 3-0 win at St Andrew's in August.

More importantly for Viduka and Middlesbrough, this latest win lifts them 11 points clear of a bottom three headed by City manager Steve Bruce's side.

Birmingham should have taken the lead after 25 minutes, captain Mario Melchiot dropping a stunning rightwing cross on to the head of an unmarked Emile Heskey.

But from eight yards the striker steered his cushioned header wide of relieved goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer's left-hand upright, to the disbelief of Bruce. But the chance that fell for Yakubu in the 33rd minute can only be described as a sitter. Controlling a Viduka flick just inside the area, Yakubu turned, only for an air shot to follow at his first attempt.

Undaunted, he managed to pounce on the loose ball, round Alex Bruce and then with just Maik Taylor to beat from seven yards, a flick with his right foot ended with the ball shaving the left-hand post. Then, on the stroke of half time, Viduka scored, initially beating Bruce, and then after sending Taylor the wrong way by feinting to shoot with his right, and scoring with his left.

In a tepid second half the best chance of an equaliser fell just minutes after the interval. David Dunn superbly outjumped Frank Queudrue at the far post in rising to meet a left-wing cross from Julian Gray, only for Schwarzer to produce a stunning point-blank block to the header.