Birmingham 2 Blackpool 0

Birmingham halted a run of six league games without a win to beat Blackpool at St Andrews.

Liam Ridgewell and Nikola Zigic got the goals either side of half time to seal a comfortable win for the home side.

Blues manager Alex McLeish signalled his attacking intent from the off, opting for a straight 4-4-2, with Garry O'Connor making his third start of the season up front alongside Zigic.

Alexander Hleb, who has been played as a withdrawn striker in recent weeks, was slotted back into a four-man midfield alongside Lee Bowyer, Baryr Ferguson and Sebastian Larsson.

The game also marked the return to St Andrew's of former fan favourite DJ Campbell, who was warmly applauded by the home fans, as well as ex-Villa forward Marlon Harewood, now both at Blackpool.

The visitors created the first chance of the game when Gary Taylor-Fletcher forced a second minute save from goalkeeper Ben Foster with a header from Neal Eardley's right-wing cross.

Eardley was shown the game's first yellow card just three minutes later for a trip on Fahey on the edge of the box, with goalkeeper Matthew Gilks acrobatically pushing over Larsson's curling free-kick over the bar from the re-start.

Harewood then dragged a tame shot wide from distance at the other end but Zigic then forced a smart reaction save from Gilks, deflecting Larsson's long range drive to the goalkeeper's left.

O'Connor was sent one-on-one with Gilks in the 12th minute, but Craig Cathcart raced back to produce a valiant last-ditch tackle, forcing the ball behind for a corner.

Keith Fahey fired just wide of the far post after good work from Garry O'Connor and Hleb midway through the first half, but Campbell then found space to unleash a strong low drive from outside the box which Foster held well.

But Blues were beginning to dominate possession and chances, with O'Connor forcing Gilks into a low save from his left-foot shot on the edge of the box.

The striker was looking a real handful and he continued to threaten the Blackpool goal with 26 minutes gone, nodding Carr's sweeping right wing cross inches over the bar from close range.

Taylor-Fletcher came within a whisker of giving his side an unlikely lead two minutes later, but could not quite reach Eardley's low left-wing cross at the far post.

O'Connor thought he had given Blues the lead in the 32nd minute when he rounded Gilks from Fahey's pass, but his effort was ruled offside.

Ridgewell, who was making constant runs down the left-wing for Blues, then forced a corner when Evatt had to turn his dangerous cross behind for a corner.

And the former Villa defender gave his side the lead from Larsson's cross, 38 minutes in.

Ridgwell headed the initial cross back across goal to Zigic, whose close range header rebounded off the bar and back into his path for the opener.

The visitors came back out for the second-half clearly fired up - Luke Varney could have equalised when he nodded just over the bar five minutes after the restart.

Carr almost doubled Blues' lead minutes later but his low curling cross from the edge of the box evaded everyone and rolled out for a goal kick.

But Blues did double their lead on 55 minutes, when Zigic eventually smashed the ball home in the area from Larsson's corner.

The ball had ricocheted around the box, but Ridgewell managed to cross the ball into the path of the gigantic Serb, who bravely drilled the ball into the net.

Zigic went into the referee's book for a foul of Charlie Adam minutes later, but the Blackpool captain then fired well over the bar.

Adam the forced a good save from Foster with a low shot which the goalkeeper held well.

But Blues' midfield, who were as harmonious today as at any time this season, dominated possession and frustrated Ian Holloway's team for the remainder of the game.

Fahey was replaced by Bowyer to tighten things up for the home side, while Holloway swapped Harewood for Matt Phillips and Adam for Keith Southern in a bid to pull a goal back.

But it was still Blues who monopolised chances and possession as the clock ticked down.

David Murphy replaced Hleb with 18 minutes left and the substitute created a great chance for Bowyer to kill off the game.

But Bowyer smashed the ball wide from the former Hibernian defender's low cross.

Blackpool forced a late succession of corners in the final minutes but Blues rearguard stood firm and Foster denied Southern with a finger tip save in the final minute, to ensure a first league win in seven for Blues.