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FULL TIME: WOLVES 0-1 BIRMINGHAM: Bowyer's early strike is enough to give Blues all three points. The visitors could and perhaps should have scored more against a nervous looking Wolves side.
Milijas heads over the bar from six-yards out.
Jerome picks up a late booking for a late challenge on Jarvis.
Ebanks-Blake is booked for a late tackle on Hart.
Four minutes of added time.
Wolves supporters are leaving early. Their side have been poor and Birmingham are passing it around to run the clock down.
Benitez is replaced by Fahey.
Benitez should have made the game safe but allowed Berra to recover.
Larsson does brilliantly to rob the ball from Doyle just as he was about to shoot.
Edwards hooks the ball away under pressure from Benitez.
Time is running out for Wolves. The home side have struggled to threaten the Birmingham defence.
Great save by Hart from Jarvis' shot. The on-loan keeper reacted brilliantly to palm away the Wolves player's drive.
McFadden's curling shot goes inches wide of the post. Corner to Blues.
Hahnemann races off his line to collect McFadden's deep cross.
Larsson is knocked over by Jarvis' shot. He's back on his feet again.
Kightly leaves the field to be replaced by Milijas.
Larsson's long range shot fizzes well wide of the Wolves goal.
Berra heads clear from Jerome's long pass. He was looking for Benitez but the Wolves defender cleared the danger.
Kightly looks to be injured and Wolves may have to make a third substitution.
Kightly races away down the right hand side but Ferguson gets across to win the ball back.
Berra goes into the book after pulling Jerome's shirt.
Johnson heads behind for a Wolves corner after good approach play by Kightly.
Craddock just manages to get in a block to deny Jerome.
Ward sends a powerful header over the Birmingham goal.
Best chance for Wolves. Edwards smashed goalwards from 25 yards out but the ball flew wide of the target.
Ward replaces Mancienne at half time.
The teams are back out for the second half.
HALF TIME: WOLVES 0-1 BIRMINGHAM: Birmingham deserve their slender lead. Wolves look nervous and could be further behind.
Three minutes of injury time to be played at the end of the first half.
McFadden finds Benitez but the Birmingham striker is flagged offside.
Henry smashes the ball clear from McFadden's dangerous cross.
Bowyer almost gets his second with an angled drive but Hahnemann pulls off a fine save.
Stearman puts in a great last-ditch tackle to deny Jerome.
Berra heads Jarvis' corner well wide of goal.
Halford makes way for Kightly in a tactical change by Mick McCarthy.
Bowyer flicks the ball over Stearman's head before drawing another good save from Hahnemann.
Doyle heads the ball on looking for Ebanks-Blake but Ridgewell sweeps up.
Hahnemann makes another good save. It was Jerome who let fly this time.
McFadden heads high over the bar after a mix up in the Wolves box.
Good save by Hahnemann. The former Reading keeper dived to his right to palm away Larsson's low drive.
Mancienne releases Ebanks-Blake but Johnson is there again to snuff out the danger.
Jarvis races down the touchline but Johnson clears the danger.
Ridgewell heads clear in the six-yard box under pressure from Halford. Wolves have upped the tempo.
Bowyer tries his luck from distance and forces a decent save from Hahnemann.
Jarvis runs at Carr before delivering a cross to Edwards who heads wide of the target. The midfielder should have done better.
Hahnemann struggles with a simple back-pass from Berra but eventually gets the ball to safety.
Doyle twists and turns before finding Jarvis but he runs the ball out of touch. Goal kick to Blues.
Benitez's pace is causing Wolves problems. The home side look apprehensive.
WOLVES 0-1 BIRMINGHAM: Great skill by BOWYER as he takes aim before chipping the ball over Hahnemann.
Ebanks-Blake hits it long looking for Doyle but the ball runs through to Hart.
Referee Mark Clattenburg gets the game under way.
The teams are out at a packed Molineux for this Black Country derby. Both sides are in a relegation scrap and need the points to turn their seasons around.
BIRMINGHAM: Hart, Carr, Ridgewell, Johnson, Dann, Bowyer, Larsson, Ferguson, Jerome, Benitez, McFadden
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish names an unchanged side after midfielder Damien Johnson recovered from a hamstring injury.
WOLVES: Hahnemann, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Mancienne, Edwards, Henry, Halford, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Doyle
Marcus Hahnemann takes his place in goal for Wolves in place of Wayne Hennessey. Michael Mancienne and Kevin Doyle also start after missing the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea last time out.
Midlands eyes will be firmly glued on Sunday's early kick-off at Molineux for the eagerly anticipated clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City. Following Wolves' promotion from the Championship last season, they have struggled to adapt to their new surroundings and, with just two wins to their name from their opening 13 league games, they are set for a season-long struggle at the foot of the table. They have leaked eight goals in the last two games, albeit against free-scoring Arsenal and Chelsea, and now is the time to pick up wins at home. Molineux has hardly been a fortress, a meagre five points from a possible 18 have been picked up, with losses to West Ham United, rock-bottom Portsmouth and a classy Arsenal side leaving them in the precarious position they currently occupy. Boss Mick McCarthy has a string of injury concerns ahead of the weekend contest with Matt Murray, Stephen Ward and David Jones (all knee) missing alongside Matt Hill (ankle), Ronald Zubar (thigh) and Chris Iwelumo (foot). Fellow Championship escapees Birmingham City will have been buoyed by their 1-0 home success against Fulham last weekend and manager Alex McLeish will be positive going into this derby game. The win stretched the Blues' unbeaten run to four games, a sequence that has included draws against Manchester City and Liverpool and another 1-0 win at St Andrew's against Sunderland at the end of October. This excellent run has propelled the second city outfit to 13th in the table and, more importantly, four points away from the relegation places. McLeish must do without Teemu Tainio and David Murphy (both knee), Stuart Parnaby (back), Damien Johnson (hamstring), Garry O'Connor (hip), (knee) and Martin Taylor (ankle) in an increasing lengthy injury list.
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Lee Bowyer underlined his growing importance to Birmingham City as he fired them to a crucial success over local rivals Wolves at Molineux. Bowyer, who was also the match-winner in Birmingham's previous game against Fulham, struck after just 125 seconds as Wolves crashed to their fifth defeat in eight games. The victory moved Birmingham six points clear of the relegation zone as they extended their unbeaten run to five games. That is their best run in the Premier League under the control of Alex McLeish, who was celebrating his second year in charge of the club. But the problems are continuing to mount for Wolves, who have now collected just three points from the last 24. Wolves never recovered from Bowyer's fifth goal of the season and remain rooted in the relegation zone - four points away from safety. To add to the growing worries of manager Mick McCarthy, key winger Michael Kightly, who was sent on as a 32nd minute substitute, lasted just 35 minutes before limping off with another injury - this time to his left ankle. Birmingham, who put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season, made the perfect start when Bowyer produced a clinical piece of finishing from the edge of the area. He collected a pass from Sebastian Larsson and took up a quick look up before chipping the ball over stranded goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. It was just the start that Hahnemann let alone Wolves didn't want as the veteran American was making his first Premier League appearance of the season in place of the axed Wayne Hennessey. But Wolves were ultimately grateful to Hahnemann to ensuring they were still in contention at half-time. He saved smartly from Larsson before superbly tipping a drive from Bowyer over the bar that had taken a wicked deflection off Kightly. Wolves were indebted to a deflection off Stephen Ward for preventing Birmingham doubling their lead in the 72nd minute when he blocked a goalbound drive from James McFadden. In contrast to Hahnemann, Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart was a virtual spectator as Wolves toiled in search of an equaliser. He was only called into serious action once - in the 75th minute when he palmed away a fierce volley from Matt Jarvis. Wolves' frustrating afternoon was then summed up four minutes from time when unmarked Sylvan Ebanks-Blake headed a David Edward cross wide from just eight yards.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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