Birmingham City 1-2 Sunderland: Loan men Ellis Simms and Amad Diallo secure victory

Ellis Simms scored three times in his first two games for Sunderland - but had gone three months without a goal

Birmingham City were beaten by two goals of Premier League quality as Tony Mowbray's Sunderland won at St Andrew's.

On-loan Everton striker Ellis Simms scored the Wearsiders' first goal on 25 minutes, set up by fellow loan man Amad Diallo.

Manchester United winger Diallo then scored a superb, curling second four minutes into the second half to seemingly seal Blues' first home defeat since August.

Substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz gave Blues hope on 78 minutes with his first goal in almost a year, but Sunderland survived late home pressure, including seven minutes of added time.

That was enough to earn Mowbray's men a second straight away win on the former West Brom and Coventry manager's return to the Midlands to lift Sunderland into the top half of the Championship table, within a point of John Eustace's 10th-placed Blues.

Amad Diallo has now scored three times in Sunderland's last five games

It was a night when Blues could have climbed into the top six of the Championship, at least temporarily, if they had won.

But they wasted a great early chance when skipper Troy Deeney's header bounced back off the angle of the left upright and crossbar - and they were made to pay when Sunderland went in front.

Diallo looked like he had been halted on the edge of the penalty area, but he powered himself back off one knee to twist himself out of the tackle, spread the ball wide to Simms on the right and the distracted Blues defence were caught flatfooted as the big striker strode on into the box to arrow home a low right-foot shot.

Blues then blew another great chance when top scorer Scott Hogan was denied by Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson in a one-on-one just before the break.

Soon after the restart the visitors' lead was doubled when Diallo stole into the right side of the Blues box and, just when he seemed to be closed down, he unleashed a superb left-foot curler which dipped just inside John Ruddy's right post.

Jutkiewicz's introduction on 59 minutes in a triple substitution that also brought on George Hall and Tahith Chong and ended 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham's evening on his first start, was always liable to have an effect.

But it brought only one goal as Jutkiewicz steered into the far corner after Bailey Wright missed his kick and, despite somehow surviving one incredible double escape in a frantic scramble, the visitors hung on.

Who's Next?

The Championship now goes into the World Cup break - but Sunderland have the shortest wait for their next game.

They only have 22 days until they resume with a home game against Millwall on 3 December.

Blues are back in action the following Saturday, 10 December, with an away trip to Blackpool.

Birmingham City boss John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:

"We lost too many duels. We didn't look as sharp as we have done, but the subs made a real difference when they came on.

"This last run of games have taken a lot out of us but I still don't think we deserved to lose - and that last half hour we gave a great account of ourselves.

"Lukas has had to be patient, but he has been top drawer when he has played and I'm delighted he got his first goal [of the season].

"Jobe Bellingham has made 11 appearances from the bench, we wanted to see what he could do from the start and he did fine."

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"This season we've often not got the rewards we deserved, so I'm just delighted for the players and our fans to come away with the three points.

"This time it was more of a case of digging in, especially late on. I know Juke from when I signed him for Middlesbrough all those years ago.

"I knew he'd cause us some problems and in the end we were hanging on a bit - and Patterson made a great save.

"It's been great to see Diallo has come to the party. We can now see he's got real talent. He only went off as he got caught in the eye and was struggling to see out of it."