There goes the final whistle and Blackburn have scraped past Birmingham thanks to a couple of potentially dubious decisions but on the overall balance of play they probably deserved it.

David Bentley has been booked for time wasting.

Brad Friedel with a superb reaction save to deny Kapo who thought he had equalised with a firm header in the dying seconds.

There will be two minutes of added time.

Birmingham can't get control of the ball to mount an attack and it appears the Rovers will manage to hold out.

Cameron Jerome has now been booked for a foul on Stephen Warnock.

The game has just died slightly in the last few minutes with a number of little stoppages and Blackburn wanting to try and kill the game.

Birmingham are piling on the pressure at the moment with a number of corners and Blackburn are making a meal out of clearing their lines.

Bentley with a free-kick for Rovers whips it in and Derbyshire somehow gets a free header and he knocks it down for Santa Cruz to shoot and he forces Taylor into action again.

Kapo strides onto the ball about 30 yards from goal and unleashes a ferocious strike that Friedel is forced to dive at full length to claw away.

Neil Danns - a former Rovers player - is going to come on and try to make things happen for the Blues in place of Nafti.

McCarthy is really up for this game today and he produces a marvellous flick round the corner for Santa Cruz who is just unable to finish it off.

Cameron Jerome gets Birmingham back in game with a stunning half volley as he rifles the ball into the roof of Friedel's net.

Warnock is going into the referee's book after a cynical foul on Larsson.

Wilson Palacios is coming on for Birmingham in place of Muamba and McSheffrey is replaced by Garry O'Connor.

Blackburn are in complete command now and McCarthy flicks Bentley's free-kick goalwards but Ridgewell is on the line this time to clear.

Double change for the home side at Matt Derbyshire and Aaron Mokoena are on in place of Robbie Savage and Tugay.

McCarthy slots the ball home from the penalty spot and Rovers lead 2-0 and they should be home and dry now.

Just seconds later Santa Cruz is felled by Djourou in the box and Rovers have a penalty that should put the game beyond doubt.

Birmingham have the ball in the net but it has been ruled out as Jerome gets in behind and finds McSheffrey who was offside as he tapped home, although replays show he was not.

Tugay has been booked for a foul on Larsson as the formerl Arsenal player tried to escape down the right hand side.

There is more pace about this second period so far and it is favouring Rovers at the moment but Birmingham will be hoping to counter attack with Jerome's pace.

Santa Cruz is involved in a lot of Blackburn's play and he again is invovled as he fakes the pass to McCarthy and goes for goal but it is deflected wide.

The second half is underway and immediately McCarthy is in behind the defence with a chance and his sliding cross is clipped by Bentley but somehow Queudrue is back to clear off the line.

There is a change for Rovers at the break with Benni McCarthy coming on in place of David Dunn.

The first half has come to a close and only David Bentley's superb strike separates the sides, the second half can only get better.

Chris Samba plays at being Beckenbauer for a moment as he picks up the ball in his own half and runs the length of the pitch, throws a couple of step overs and then bends a shot narrowly wide of the post from 25 yards.

The game is really not moving at any great pace with Rovers sitting back and Birmingham not looking like mounting a serious attack.

Santa Cruz finds himself on the left wing and whips the ball in and Warnock flicks it on to the other full back Emerton at the back post but he can't quite get a head on it.

This game has really not got going with any great rhythm and the crowd is clearly a bit frustrated with events as there are spells of silence.

Roque Santa Cruz does well to keep his balance under pressure from Djourou but he carries on and tries a shot left footed but he is leaning back and skies it well over.

However, here goes Cameron Jerome in behind Andre Ooijer and he is one-on-one with Friedel but he screws it wide of the far post but that was a great chance.

Birmingham are providing very little threat to the Rovers defence until now and Samba and company are looking comfortable.

Jerome has cut an isolated figure so far and he finally gets a chance to run as McSheffrey feeds it through but he can't reach the slightly overhit pass and Friedel gathers.

Santa Cruz wants a penalty as Djourou clips him from behind as he controls Warnock's cross but the referee is not interested and rightly so.

Another break in play as this time Seb Larsson is down with a knock and is in need of attention.

Bentley is at the heart of everything today and he tackles Muamba before playing a neat one-two with Emerton then he finds Pedersen who lets rip from long range and Taylor makes a fine save.

GOAL: Blackburn 1 - 0 Birmingham: (Bentley) - David Dunn clips the ball in from the right hand side and Bentley swivels on a sixpence in the area and fires left footed past Friedel and into the net.

The game is being disrupted by injuries as Nafti and now Pedersen hit the deck and are in need of treatment.

Bentley shows great skill to control a high ball from Tugay and shoots almost immediately and it whistles just wide of Taylor's far post.

Birmingham with a couple of corners have some pressure but they struggle to cause any real problems after poor delivery and Rovers clear.

The game has started very slowly and Birmingham are actually in a 4-5-1 formation so they must be trying to keep it tight in the early stages.

Santa Cruz turns on the edge of the box and shows some early intent as he lets fly but it is well over Taylor's cross bar.

Mark Clattenburg is today's match official and he will be hoping to stay out of the limelight as he gets the game underway.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Djourou, Ridgewell, Queudrue, Larsson, Muamba, Nafti, McSheffrey, Jerome, Kapo

Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Savage, Tugay, Bentley, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz

Birmingham City were unlucky in their last outing to go down 1-0 to defending champions Manchester United and Steve Bruce has picked an attacking lineup with Cameron Jerome and Olivier Kapo up front being supported by Gary McSheffrey and Seb Larsson

Blackburn have been in good form of late but the midweek win against Larissa was not enough to send them through in the UEFA Cup and Mark Hughes has gone with just Roque Santa Cruz up front with Benni McCarthy and Matt Derbyshire on the bench.

Ewood Park is the venue for today's game between Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City with both sides looking for a win to climb up the table.