Queens Park Rangers 1 Birmingham 0

Two games against the two favourites for promotion and four points in the bag - maybe Flavio Briatore should make himself manager at Queens Park Rangers.

After becoming the first side to take a point at Reading's Madejski Stadium this season on Saturday, Rangers beat highly-fancied Birmingham last night 1-0. Suddenly, Iain Dowie's sacking does not look such a foolhardy act afterall.

Whether the success will last is open to conjecture. Is it really possible that Gareth Ainsworth, currently in temporary charge, can take his orders from the Italian millionaire chairman sat in the stands?

Ainsworth may argue otherwise, but he did last night . . . and it worked.

The former Wimbledon winger insists he has the final say on selection, although he admits "discussions" do take place with Briatore as the Italian seeks "involvement with his investment".

But cynics about the Formula One supremo's role will have been given plenty of ammunition by the sight of him seemingly calling for goalscorer Samuel Di Carmine to be replaced midway through the second half.Sure enough, within moments, Hogan Ephraim was sent on for the Italian, incapacitated by cramp.

Ainsworth, though, insists all in-game decisions are down to him. He added: "I make the substitutions when I've got pointers about certain players from the coaches and I choose the system and the tactics.

"There are discussions before games. We talk about certain players I suggest a few, other people suggest a few. But the result last night and at Reading suggest that whatever we have done is justified. There has been a lot of investment at this club. We almost went out of business and the people who have put that money in want to take care of their investment."

QPR outclassed their much-vaunted opponents last night, even after Stuart Attwell the referee who gave Reading a ghost goal at Watford last month dismissed Mikele Leigertwood on the stroke of half-time.

Ainsworth labelled the decision harsh but it gave QPR inspiration and they went ahead 10 minutes after the break when the excellent Damiano Tommasi set up Di Carmine, who worked himself a yard and arrowed a shot past Maik Taylor from the edge of the box.

Birmingham failed to make their numerical advantage count and fashioned just one chance to get back into the game Gavin Mahon clearing Kevin Phillips's shot off the line as QPR held on with comparative ease to give Ainsworth the perfect bargaining chip as he bids to secure his long-term future.

Ainsworth is no closer to knowing whether he will be placed in permanent charge and is yet to speak with Briatore over his long-term job prospects.

He added: "I'm just proud to be caretaker. Of course, I've got a taste for it. I thought Saturday was the biggest rollercoaster of emotions I'd experienced but last night topped it."