After three matches without a victory in the Championship, Birmingham needed to get out of their slump quickly and not let it drag on as much as the one that started in September did.

Lee Bowyer's side at that point of the season went on a seven match winless streak and six games in a row without scoring, but after getting back on track defeats to Reading and Hull in the last few weeks were a big backwards step.

The Blues weren't in for an easy ride at St. Andrew's on Saturday afternoon though as they welcomed a Blackpool side who had made the step up from League One with ease this season and had lost just one of their previous seven matches.

Birmingham had their own issues going into the match, namely in midfield as both Gary Gardner and Ryan Woods were suspended due to red cards in the previous two matches against Hull and Coventry respectively.

With options lacking in the engine room, there was only really one player who could fill the role and that was 17-year-old Jordan James, who made his debut at the start of the month with a cameo against Bristol City.

Yesterday was his first start though in a Blues shirt and he impressed massively and even contributed to Lukas Jutkiewicz's winning goal, directing a header into the veteran striker's path for the winner.

James' good day was capped with the penning of a professional contract, with the club quick to sort his future out after an impressive performance which Blues fans were raving about on social media.