Reading claim vital win

Bikey struck with an emphatic header on the half-hour mark to give Reading a lead before the Blues hit back through Mauro Zarate in the 65th minute.

But Birmingham hopes of returning to St Andrews with a lucky point were dashed when Cameroon defender Bikey nodded home the winner in the 80th minute.

Barely a minute was on the clock when a run from Stephen Hunt exposed the Birmingham defence, which was let off the hook when Kevin Doyle just failed to connect from point-blank range.

Reading were then caught napping as Mikael Forssell teed up Gary McSheffrey - who pushed his shot wide of the right post.

In the 17th minute Hunt was denied by Stephen Kelly's timely intervention. Hunt was rampant and rattled the bar with a blistering 25-yard drive.

Reading took the lead in the 31st minute when Bikey headed in a free-kick from John Oster.

Reading had the better of the second half but against the run of play in the 65th minute the visitors equalised.

Forssell outmuscled Ivar Ingimarsson on the left and the Finland international threaded the ball to Zarate, who made no mistake to register his first goal for Birmingham.

But the home side wrapped up the points with Bikey's second goal as Nicky Shorey sent a free-kick into the box and Bikey nodded home as Birmingham once again struggled to contain the powerful African at the decisive moment.