Birmingham 2 Burnley 1

Birmingham's success story goes on as they edged closer to their highest league finish in 51 years.

By half-time Blues were already well in command through a strike from birthday boy Christian Benitez and an own goal from goalkeeper Brian Jensen, with Steven Thompson's reply too late to save Burnley.

All Alex McLeish's men need is a point from their final Premier League game of the season at Bolton to make certain of ninth place, which would equal the club's last-highest placing in 1959.

They may not even need anything at all if Sunderland, Blackburn and Stoke all fail to win their penultimate games of the season.

Birmingham were literally handed the breakthrough in the 29th minute through the unfortunate Burnley goalkeeper Jensen, the ex-Albion player diverting Cameron Jerome's hopeful effort into his own net.

By half-time Blues were two up through a goal from on-loan striker Benitez, who turned 24 today, finishing with ease on 41 minutes after Roger Johnson had headed back James McFadden's free-kick into his path.

The home side could have put the game to bed in the second-half, Jerome denied by a last-ditch challenge from Leon Cort while Sebastian Larsson also volleyed narrowly wide.

And the hosts were forced to endure a tense finale after Thompson pulled one back for Burnley with three minutes to go, drilling past goalkeeper Joe Hart after Gregory Vignal had unwittingly played him onside.

But Blues held for a fitting end to their home fixtures for the season.