Birmingham - 2 Sunderland - 0 It was a close-run thing as to whether The Crying Game or Always Look on the Bright Side of Life would have been the most appropriate musical accompaniment as Mick McCarthy pondered Sunderland's relegation from the Premiership.
It was clear, however, that the Sunderland manager is becoming very accomplished at insisting there is life after relegation. "We'll be back next season," he promised, "not necessarily in the Premiership, but as a force and a team that is pushing for promotion.
"People say I've taken on a big challenge and it is a difficult job. I'd sooner be taking on that challenge at a club like this than a lot of other places. The infrastructure is there, so is the fan base."
To make the most of that challenge McCarthy knows changes will have to be made and he has been addressing the issue since succeeding Howard Wilkinson.
"I've had three or four weeks to look at things and have got plans formulated," he added. "We certainly need some fresh faces. If we didn't we wouldn't be bottom of the table with 19 points."
The anticipated resignation of the chairman, Bob Murray, means there also will be some freshening up at board level. Murray's departure has been caused by a combination of ill health and falling on his sword following the sacking of his friend Peter Reid.
Sunderland had been in decline long before then, however, and their demise was predictable as soon as it became clear Wilkinson was not the Mr Motivator they needed. Less predictable was the identity of the two Birmingham players who finally pushed them down the well: Bryan Hughes and Christophe Dugarry.
In contrast with Sunderland, both had good cause to remember happily a tense encounter by scoring their first Premiership goals, Hughes with an expertly executed left-foot volley, Dugarry with a stooping header.
In condemning Sunderland to the First Division, Birmingham enhanced their prospects of not accompanying them, the victory taking their points tally to 38. Historically that has been enough to guarantee safety but manager, Steve Bruce, is taking nothing for granted.
"Birmingham City have a history of doing things the hard way and I expect this to go down to the wire," he remarked afterwards.
BIRMINGHAM: Bennett, Kenna, Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Devlin (Carter 81), Hughes (Kirovski 84), Clemence, Lazaridis, Horsfield, Dugarry (John 64). Subs Not Used: Marriott, Purse. Goals: Hughes 43, Dugarry 60.
SUNDERLAND: Poom, Williams, Bjorklund (McCartney 22), El Karkouri (Wright 55), Gray, Thornton, McCann, Kilbane, Phillips, Kyle, Stewart. Subs Not Used: Proctor, Arca, Turns. Sent Off: Stewart (86). Booked: McCartney.
Referee: P Dowd.
