Today's other stories in brief

Blues open gap

Birmingham celebrated 100 years at St Andrews in the best possible fashion yesterday as they opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the English Championship with a 2-1 victory over QPR.

Matthew Upson gave Birmingam the lead midway through the first half, but struggling Rangers' Lee Cook drilled in from 25 yards shortly after the half-hour. Substitute Cameron Jerome netted the 62nd-minute winner three minutes after his introduction.

Connolly scores

David Connolly ended an hour of frustration to set Sunderland on their way to a fourth straight home win yesterday that piled on the misery for dismal Leeds.

Dennis Wise's visitors - now winless in six games and without a goal in four matches - only mustered one shot on target in the entire game.

Connolly struck just before the midway point of the second period to send the majority of the 40,116 crowd into relieved raptures. Grant Leadbitter added a deserved second for Roy Keane's side.

Scolari to quit

Luiz Felipe Scolari intends to quit as coach of Portugal after Euro 2008. "The work of a coach is limited to five or six years, and it's only logical that I should stop after Euro 2008," Scolari told Portugal's Record newspaper. The Brazilian took the reins after leading his own nation to 2002 World Cup glory.

O'Flynn signs

Galway United have beefed up their strike force for next season with the signing of Stephen O'Flynn from Derry City. The 24-year-old has put pen to paper for Tony Cousins' side as Galway United prepare for a return to the top flight of Irish soccer after an absence of five seasons.

"Stephen is a quality player and will fit in perfectly with the type of game we will be trying to play," said Cousins. "We are putting together an exciting side for next season and Stephen will be part of that."