Birmingham 1 Derby 0 - verdict
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish feels as if his side have had a "shot in the arm" after beating Derby at St Andrews.
Blues got their first win of 2009 - and their first win on home soil since December 6 - through Lee Carsley's 58th minute goal.
But the third-placed side didn't have it all their own way against Nigel Clough's Rams, who for better finishing could have turned the tide.
Only Kris Commons will know how he blazed over from four yards in the second minute, after home goalkeeper Maik Taylor inexplicibly dropped the ball onto his foot.
Then, with four minutes to go, Carsley had to turn hero at the other end, heading Miles Addison's effort off the line.
But the home side looked plenty better for the goal, a cross into the box from the super-lively Hameur Bouazza met with the final touch from Carsley.
Bouazza nearly had a hand in a second goal in stoppage time, only for sub Scott Sinclair to be thwarted one-on-one with goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
So McLeish had to settle for a one-goal win, one he feels could turn the tide back Blues' way.
He said: "We needed that, a shot in the arm. Me and the players have spoken about being through and - although we are thorough anyway - I felt we gave it that little bit more against Derby.
"When we scored, we looked like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders and we really looked like we wanted to score again.
"We looked dangerous. The players are delighted with the win."
McLeish now faces an anxious wait on striker James McFadden, who had to be replaced in the second-half after going down under Addison's challenge.
The Blues boss said: "James looks to have a medial ligament injury and there is no way of telling how serious it is.
"He will have a scan in the next 24 hours."
