Birmingham 2-1 Sunderland match report: The Daily Mirror verdict

Hot-rod Liam Ridgewell activates airport security scanners because of the metal plate and four screws holding his leg together.

And as Sunderland sank to the occasion on Steve Bruce's unhappy return to St Andrews, Ridgewell left his old manager bleeping like a customs officer's metal detector.

Ridgewell, who crossed the great Brum divide from Second City arch-rivals Aston Villa, was Bruce's last signing before he left Birmingham in high dudgeon, feeling unwanted by the lions of the adult entertainment industry who ran the club.

Poor old Bruce has only been back to Bluenose heartland twice: on the first occasion he came to watch his son Alex playing against City for Ipswich, skipped the last 10 minutes to beat the traffic and missed his chip off the old block scoring a late equaliser.

And on Saturday, Sunderland were so inert for 80 minutes that, like the blameless Ridgewell, they could have been mistaken for suspect packages.

Ridgewell's first goal since his return from a badly-broken leg last season put Birmingham on the road towards ending a horrid trot of six defeats in their last seven games.

It was also a fitting way to welcome the Blues' new owners from Hong Kong. While president Carson Yeung sat next to that captain of industry, Steve McManaman, in the directors' box, chairman Vico Hui's euphoric welcome speech on the pitch before kick-off was hilarious.

Straight from the concert script of a fading rock star, he addressed his subjects in fluent takeaway, bellowing "Hello, St Andrews!" before promising a bright future, signing off with "I love you" and playing his adoptive theme tune, Sister Sledge disco anthem We Are Family.

Not many fans seemed inclined to get on down to the sisterhood, but there was an appreciative reception for Bruce from home fans - and an unexpectedly hot one on the pitch.

Ridgewell said: "It's nice to get one over on your old gaffer and the goal was pleasing because I was told I would be out for nine or 10 months with that broken leg.

"It was a clean fracture of the main bone and it wasn't nice - I was laid up in bed for three months, going crazy, and I've got a rod and four screws still in my leg.

"Every time I go through an airport scanner, the security machine bleeps and I get quizzical looks from the security guards. I have to tell them, 'Honestly, I've got nothing on me apart from a metal rod in my leg'.

"But I'll be OK in future because they have got those full-body scanners now, so the screws will show up and they'll let me through without a problem.

"Steve [Bruce] brought me here, and I'll always be thankful that he believed in me because it's not an easy decision for a Birmingham manager to sign a player from Villa, but he had the guts to go through with it.

"He's a leader, and our gaffer now is just the same - he has a lot of passion and grit. Of course, both of them are centre-backs who used to play for Sir Alex Ferguson, so you don't want to give them the opportunity to give you the hairdryer." 

James McFadden made it 2-0 three minutes after the break before Scott Dann's late own goal, helping in Michael Turner's goal-bound header, forced Birmingham to endure a frantic finish when they should have been home and hosed.

Blues manager Alex McLeish was thrilled with the contribution of his exotic import from Ecuador, Christian Benitez, saying: "He's a box of tricks and showed he can be a real handful because he pops up in areas where it's difficult for defenders to pick him up.

"Without a doubt, he can inspire the other players, and motivate them to show what they can do."

Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon queried the legality of Ridgewell's goal but was honest enough to admit it would have been a travesty if the Black Cats had burgled a point. He said: "We got what we deserved - it would have been deceptive if we had snatched a draw.

"The first goal hit Ridgewell's thigh and went on to his hand - that's what I was appealing for, but I don't think the ref was in a position to see it."

Birmingham: Hart 4, Carr 7, Johnson 7, Dann 7, Ridgewell 7, Larsson 7 (Carsley 82), Bowyer 5, Ferguson 6, McFadden 8 (O'Connor 76), Benitez 8, Jerome 7 (McSheffrey, 76).

Sunderland: Gordon 6, Bardsley 5, Turner 6, Ferdinand 6, Richardson 6, Malbranque 5 (Campbell 68, 4), Henderson 4 (McCartney 68, 7), Cana 5 (Zenden 68, 6), Reid 7, Jones 5, Bent 5.