Team news

Brady sits it out Hull are still without suspended winger Robbie Brady for the home game with Birmingham but have no new injury problems.

Teenager Brady, on loan from Manchester United, will sit out the second of a three-match ban following his red card in the recent defeat at Southampton.

Caretaker manager Nick Barmby is not expected to make any unforced changes after Saturday's home win over former boss Nigel Pearson's Leicester.

Aaron Mclean will continue his partnership up front with Matty Fryatt, while long-term absentees Richard Garcia and Seyi Olofinjana are not yet ready to return after respective knee injuries.

Barmby said: "Those two will need another game because it's a big ask to play just one game and come back into the reckoning for the first team.

"We've got good options at the moment and will have even more when those two are back." Birmingham will be without the suspended Curtis Davies.

Defender Davies will serve a one-match ban after the Blues decided not to appeal against his sending off during the 1-0 defeat at Cardiff on Sunday.

Davies was dismissed for a professional foul on Kenny Miller, bringing down the Bluebirds striker when he was through on goal.

On-loan striker Chris Wood will hope to return to the starting line-up on what will be his 20th Birthday.

It remains to be seen whether left-back Liam Ridgewell will return from the thigh injury that has ruled him out in recent weeks.

Hull vs Birmingham

Last modified 22:12 07/12/11

Brum win boosts Barmby bid Nick Barmby strengthened his claim to take the manager's job on a full-time basis as Hull climbed into the play-off places with a fine 2-1 comeback victory against Birmingham.

Goals from Robert Koren and Aaron Mclean lifted the air of frustration which had descended on the KC Stadium after the Tigers somehow went in at the break trailing.

Chris Wood celebrated his 20th birthday with a gift-wrapped goal to open the scoring 11 minutes before half-time despite the hosts' dominance.

But Barmby's men, spurred on by the virtuoso performance of winger Cameron Stewart, levelled the scores early in the second half before Mclean's fortuitous 67th-minute winner, which left ex-Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill red-faced.

Even the weather could not match the frosty reception given to former Hull loanee Marlon King on the striker's return to East Yorkshire. His every touch was jeered, but his failure to control Chris Burke's early searching pass was well received by the home fans.

It was Chris Hughton's side who created the first chance, Wade Elliott's near-post corner finding Wood whose header was beaten away by Peter Gulacsi in the eighth minute.

The hosts responded with some patient build-up play which allowed Koren to test Myhill with a long-range drive. Stewart's corner then found James Chester in space but his downward header bounced up and over the bar.

Blues survived a penalty shout when Pablo Ibanez appeared to bring down Matty Fryatt in the box, with referee Michael Naylor unmoved by Hull's appeals.

Corry Evans had the home crowd on their feet midway through the first half with a fizzing first-time volley which flashed just wide.

Fryatt hit the side-netting moments later as caretaker manager Barmby saw his charges control the opening exchanges. And yet they were nearly undone when Elliott ran onto Burke's through-ball before firing his shot straight at Gulacsi.

Stewart's powerful low drive just three minutes later was a reminder of the threat he posed, with Stephen Carr struggling to contain the former Manchester United youngster.

Stewart soon pushed forward again, cutting inside unopposed to tee up Koren, who drilled narrowly wide from just outside the area.

With 34 minutes gone, and firmly against the run of play, Wood lashed King's short pass into the bottom corner from just inside the area for his 10th goal of the season and first in 11 matches.

The final chance of the half fell to Stewart, but his floating effort curled just wide of the far post.

Within 90 seconds of the restart, Hull's frustrations dissipated and it was, unsurprisingly, Stewart who unlocked the door. His teasing delivery was deflected into the path of Koren, who volleyed past Myhill from around the penalty spot.

Birmingham struggled to respond to the setback and could have gone behind just before the hour mark when Jack Hobbs nodded Koren's right-wing corner over the bar.

Mclean delivered the victory the home side's performance deserved after latching onto Koren's pass - but Myhill, who spent six-and-a-half years with Hull, should have kept his low near-post shot out with ease.