Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Birmingham City

Ben Marshall netted his second goal in as many games for Blackburn

Ben Marshall scored his second goal in as many games to give Blackburn a 1-0 win at home to managerless Birmingham.

Marshall cut inside from the left to slot a low right-footed shot in off the post on 51 minutes for the only goal of the game at Ewood Park.

Neal Eardley was sent off for Birmingham after a second yellow card for a foul on Markus Olsson.

Birmingham almost snatched a stoppage time equaliser, but substitute Andrew Shinnie's shot struck the crossbar.

Malcolm Crosby took caretaker charge of Birmingham following Lee Clark's departure from St Andrews on Monday.

Corry Evans had a glorious chance to give Blackburn an early lead in the sixth minute, but he missed his shot in front of goal after Jordan Rhodes crossed from the right.

Crosby almost had the perfect start to caretaker management when Clayton Donaldson went within inches of putting the visitors ahead.

His shot went wide after a one-on-one with Blackburn goalkeeper Luke Steele.

Koby Arthur then tested Steele's reflexes with a smart right-foot shot from the edge of the area, which was stopped in the bottom left corner.

He was then on hand to tip over a stinging shot from Paul Caddis.

Birmingham were left with nothing to show for their impressive first half performance and they were punished soon after the break.

Marshall opened the scoring for Blackburn six minutes into the second half. His side-footed right-foot shot from just inside the area found the bottom left corner off the inside of the post.

Birmingham's task was then made even harder as Eardley tripped Olsson for his second bookable offence.

Marshall was denied a second goal on 64 minutes by the feet of Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle after the midfielder skipped past two challenges.

Doyle then stopped a right-foot shot from Olsson creeping in to the top corner.

Birmingham brought on Wes Thomas and Shinnie in search of an equaliser.

Thomas stung the palms of Steele before Shinnie's rasping right-foot shot from 25 years cannoned off the crossbar in added time.

Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer on Ben Marshall's winning goal: "It was an excellent goal. He's in fantastic form and it was a great finish from him.

"He's got five goals this season already, has got fantastic ability.

"He can go inside you, outside you, can go on his left, cut in and smash it with his right like he did tonight and there's more to come from him.

"He's got to keep working hard and get better."

Birmingham caretaker manager Malcolm Crosby: "When you need a break, sometimes you're lucky and you get it, but we didn't today.

"It (Shinnie's) was a great strike and against a very good goalkeeper, whatever we fired at them earlier in the game, he saved them and did well.

"You just need that little break and we didn't get it.

"When you get chances in games, you have to have someone there to take them.

"I just felt that possibly we were unlucky not to get a point out of the game."