Shola and Solano get Toon smiling
Birmingham huffed and puffed but for all their endeavour had little in the way of creativity and rarely threatened the visiting goal.
The first half was a curious mixture of dominance for either side, without little in the way of clear cut chances and when The Magpies opened the scoring it was slightly against the run of play.
Gary Speed's hospital pass to Andy Griffin saw the latter put in a brave challenge to clear the ball. It came back to the Welshman and he atoned for his error with a driving run, but it was Alan Shearer that created the goal.
The former England captain first flicked on a great ball and then when it was played across the box he stepped over to allow Nolberto Solano to drive a great 34th minute shot past Nico Vaesen.
A couple of off-the-ball incidents saw Robbie Savage find his way into the book for a needless trip on Aaron Hughes, whilst Nikos Dabizas was incensed that flailing arms from Stern John were not punished greater.
On the other side, Birmingham felt that referee Steve Bennett did not give them the rub of the green.
The second half was more of the same, although Birmingham pressed for longer periods of the game, they could not find the killer ball.
In injury time a wicked cross from the right caused chaos in the box but the visitors cleared and Shearer drove them on before playing a superb one-two with substitute Shola Ameobi.
The England Under-21 international was clear in the centre of the goal but contrived to see Vaesen save his first effort only for the ball to rebound in off Ameobi's knee.
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