Live Commentary: Birmingham City 3-2 Middlesbrough - as it happened

Birmingham City hosted Middlesbrough in the Championship looking to improve upon their miserable recent home form.

It started badly for Lee Clark's side when Grant Leadbitter headed Boro into the lead, but a late Marlon King penalty restored parity just before the break.

City came out far stronger in the second half and two goals from Wade Elliott and King were enough to overturn Scott McDonald's goal for a thrilling win.

See how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live commentary.

9.43pmThat's all from me tonight. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for this game, but before you go make sure to check out our report of the action here.

9.42pmA very strong second-half showing, and two great goals, has edged Birmingham past Boro for a somewhat rare home win.

FULL-TIME!Birmingham 3-2 Middlesbrough

90+4 minThe ball is with Butland and that must be that...

90+3 minChance for Birmingham! Lovenkrands is played through by Elliott but Steele stands up well to save.

90+2 minEvery player bar Steele is in the Birmingham half. A goal-kick for them eases some pressure.

90+1 minStill Boro press...

90 minLeadbitter has a good position to put in a cross from a free kick but it's far too long and sails over the bar. Four minutes added on...

88 minSteele slices a clearance under pressure from King and Birmingham work it back to Butland, who kicks it straight back to Steele.

87 minAs expected, the pressure is now coming from Boro. So far Birmingham are dealing with it.

84 minCan Clark's side hold on to this? We've seen some sloppy defending from them tonight, but they just need seven minutes plus stoppage time's worth of solidity to get the three points.

82 min Boro give the ball away cheaply to Lovenkrands, who passes right to King. He still has work to do but shoots low and hard from the edge of the box into the opposite corner. A real striker's goal and Birmingham are in front for the first time tonight.

81 minGOAL! Birmingham 3-2 Middlesbrough (King)

78 minIt's still all Birmingham and so far Clark looks to have got his subs spot on. Elliott and Burke at least have turned the game in the hosts' favour.

78 minSteele and Bikey get in a tangle from a Burke cross, but there's no danger fortunately.

77 minLovenkrands is down straight away. I think he got caught when slipping the ball to King. He's ok though.

75 minFinal substitution for the hosts. Peter Lovenkrands replaces Zigic.

73 minIshmael Miller has come on for Middlesbrough, for Jutkiewicz.

72 minBirmingham's defence playing a good offside trap now, stepping up to catch Ledesma off.

71 minBurke does Halliday for pace and there's clear obstruction and a definite yellow card for the left-back.

70 minAcrobatic defending from Bikey! Burke gets straight into the action with a cross and Bikey chests towards his own goal before clearing with an overhead kick.

69 minSecond substitution for Clark. Chris Burke comes on for Hall.

67 minI did say he was a great player! The ball is cleared to just outside the box and Elliott takes a touch on his chest before firing a looping volley over the head of Steele, who was off his line. A really great strike.

66 minGOAL! Birmingham 2-2 Middlesbrough (Elliott)

64 minChance for Birmingham! Almost straight from kickoff, Spector gets through everyone and fires towards goal with his left. It's too central and Steele can make a good save to put it wide.

62 minIt's really awful defending from City. There's a hint of handball against McDonald as the ball comes in, but not one of three defenders or the keeper can clear as he finally manages to squirm the ball in to renew Boro's lead.

62 minGOAL! Birmingham 1-2 Middlesbrough (McDonald)

60 minClose for Birmingham! Hall, who is threatening on the right tonight, strikes with his left and forces Steele to palm wide for a corner. Elliott takes and it leads to nothing.

59 minGood counter from Boro involving Ledesma, McEachran and McDonald ends with the striker firing well over from the edge of the box.

57 minClose for Boro! Ledesma picks up the second ball from a clearance and strikes on his left. It's not too far wide but I think Butland had it covered.

56 minElliott flicks on a Hall cross and Hines is there to meet the ball before King can get there.

54 minSave by Butland! Leadbitter dinks a fabulous ball over the top to McDonald, who tries to lift over Butland but the big 'keeper is equal to it.

52 minChance for Middlesbrough! Superb pass in behind to McDonald by McEachran. He cuts it back to Jutkewicz and Butland saves well with his legs.

50 minHall's pace causes Bailey trouble, with the latter bringing down the youngster. No card though.

49 minIt's been a slow start to the half, but Birmingham have probably just about been on top so far, as three City defenders crowd out Jutkewicz.

46 minBailey goes on a mazy early run but takes a heavy touch and it goes out of play.

46 minBirmingham get us back underway!

8.50pmThe teams are coming back out. How will Birmingham use the lifeline they were thrown? Clark makes a change at the break: Wade Elliott, who I think is a top player, comes on for Morrison.

8.45pmMiddlesbrough themselves had a legitimate penalty claim turned down when Curtis Davies look away the leg of McDonald. There wasn't much of an appeal at the time but the referee missed that one.

8.36pmBirmingham did come into that more after the 35-minute mark, but Middlesbrough's dominance of possession overall combined with a number of decent chances should have seen them up at the break. Then again, if you don't take your chances there's always a risk you'll concede.

HALF-TIME!Birmingham 1-1 Middlesbrough

45+3 minIt's a superb penalty from King, into the top left corner, but Bikey does not need to haul King down there and Birmingham are somehow level.

45+3 minGOAL! Birmingham 1-1 Middlesbrough (King, pen)

45+2 minPENALTY FOR BIRMINGHAM! Bikey brings down King!

45+1 min... Ledesma strikes again and it's well wide this time.

45 minIt looks like both teams are happy to go in at this score. Neither side has any urgency to score before the break! Robinson is booked for bringing down Ledesma. Chance here...

42 minThis time Morrison cannot find a way through on the edge of the box as Hines does well. Really solid at the back from Boro so far.

41 minMorrison, Caddis and Spector combine really well, but the latter's cutback is cut out before a shot can come in. There's been a lack of end product for the hosts tonight.

39 minBikey clears a Hall cross from the left, but Birmingham are starting to pass the ball nicely now. Can they create something before half-time?

35 minSave from Butland! He doesn't really need to push it wide, but Boro win a corner from a Ledesma drive from distance. It looked to be going wide to me.

35 minBirmingham have seen more of the ball these past five minutes. They've had a couple of decent positions but without really created anything clear-cut.

32 min... Which comes to nothing, goal-kick.

32 minHall takes a heavy first touch near his own box and Boro win a corner from nothing...

29 minChance for Boro! ...Ledesma steps up himself and works Butland. Not a great effort but the young goalkeeper had to be alert down low.

28 minFree-kick in a dangerous position as Ibanez brings down Ledesma around 30 yards from goal...

27 minMorrison swings a cross towards King. He's caught in two minds whether to head at goal or across for Zigic. In the end it goes harmlessly wide.

25 minChance for Boro! From the free-kick Leadbitter swings it in deep. Jutkewicz again meets it and once more he heads over. Harder chance that but still a good one.

24 minMcDonald throws himself to the floor dramatically, before McEachran is actually taken out by Zigic.

23 minClose for City! Birmingham break through Zigic, who eventually picks out King. His effort clips the post and goes wide. So close.

21 minChance for Boro! Patient passing finds Hoyte on the byline. He crosses for Jutkewicz who really should have hit the target with his header. It's over the bar.

21 minThe Boro fans are making a lot of noise but the game has fallen a bit scrappy with fouls being given away by both sides.

18 minChance for Birmingham! Spector meets the delivery, but he's some way out and directs it comfortably over the bar.

18 minBirmingham have one of their own 35 yards from goal, foul given away by Leadbitter. It's Hall to take...

17 minMcDonald goes down just outside the box, but the referee deems that Hayden Mullins played the ball, no free-kick.

16 minI wouldn't say that was deserved, but the Boro midfield has been more in control of this contest with better passing. How can Lee Clark's side respond?

15 minHalliday swings in a dangerous near-post cross and Leadbitter, who made a run into the box, meets it to squeeze it past Butland.

14 minGOAL! Birmingham 0-1 Middlesbrough (Leadbitter)

13 minAn angled ball over the top from Leadbitter looks for Jutkewicz, but again there's too much on it for the striker to gather.

11 minHall looks for King, but the Boro defence crowd him out to win the ball.

10 minZigic meets a long goal-kick and heads it out of play. A slow start to this one tonight.

7 minNeat in the middle for Boro. McEachran looks to ping it into Lukas Jutkiewicz but it's too hard and goes out for a goal-kick.

6 minNikola Zigic meets the cross but it's comfortably wide.

5 minLedesma gives away a free-kick with a clumsy jump. Dangerous position this on the left side of the box.

4 minHalliday crosses from the left after tidy work from Grant Leadbitter and McEachran, but Jack Butland easily gathers low.

3 minIt's a very empty St Andrews tonight...

1 minEarly break for the hosts. Jonathan Spector takes a good touch and finds Marlon King, but his cross is blocked.

1 minAnd we're off!

7.45pmThe teams are lining up for Boro to kick off. Almost there...

7.44pmAlmost time to get underway, here's my prediction... I envisage goals, but I also fancy the hosts to get something in a 2-2 draw.

7.43pmBoro boss Tony Mowbray is remaining wary of the threat of Birmingham. Also speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: "[Birmingham is] a huge club, huge expectation and they have some very good players."

7.41pmIn fact Birmingham's the last defeat to Boro has been their only loss at home to them in 15. It came in 2005, and was also 3-0.

7.40pmThe last two fixtures at St Andrews between these teams have ended 3-0 to the Blues; one in the Premier League, one in the Championship. A good omen for the hosts, then.

7.37pmLee Clark was honest in his assessment before the game. He told Sky Sports News: "We have to start winning at home sooner rather than later. The reason it frustrates me is the differences in first and second halves, which sums up our season in a nutshell."

7.34pmMiddlesbrough, on the other hand, are hoping to return to the top two.

7.33pmBoth teams looking to win for different reasons tonight. Birmingham haven't beaten a top-16 side at home thus far and have not won in four home or away.

7.31pmGrant Leadbitter was a doubt in the build up to this game, but he has been passed fit to start alongside Josh McEachran in the middle.

7.29pmMiddlesbrough XI: Steele; Halliday, Bikey, Hines, Hoyte; Leadbitter, McEachran, Bailey, Ledesma; Jutkewicz, McDonald

7.27pmSo Paul Caddis remains in the City lineup with Steven Caldwell remaining on the bench.

7.25pmBirmingham XI: Butland; Caddis, Davies, Ibanez, Robinson; Spector, Morrison, Mullins, Hall; King, Zigic

7.23pmThe teams are in and we'll get straight to them.

7.21pmHello and thanks for joining me tonight for what is set up to be an interesting Championship clash between Birmingham City and Middlesbrough.

Live Commentary: Birmingham City 3-2 Middlesbrough - as it happened

People mentioned in this article :

Teams mentioned in this article :

Birmingham City

Middlesbrough