Two long-range rockets from skipper Paul McKenna and winger Ross Wallace snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and sent the season into a last day cliffhanger next Sunday against Queens Park Rangers.

Alan Irvine's side had looked to be bowing out with honour after Keith Fahey headed the Blues in front after 58 minutes of a red hot encounter.

But McKenna silenced a big crowd at St Andrew's with a 30-yard scorcher after 69 minutes to give North End hope.
And with just a minute left on the clock Wallace bent a peach of a free-kick in from 25 yards, the ball clipping the inside of the right-hand post and bouncing across into the opposite corner.

The game also saw three sendings off with Preston finishing the match with only nine men.

Lee Williamson was ordered off with Birmingham's Lee Bowyer after the pair tussled on the floor following a challenge. Then Wallace saw a second yellow card - and hence a red - for taking his shirt off in celebration of the winning goal.

But North End still finished the game in celebrations knowing their chance of extending their season is still alive and kicking.
Preston looked far from overawed as they kicked off in bright sunshine and a deafening atmosphere.

Lonergan was soon in action, dashing out of his six-yard box to grab a through ball and send Sebastian Larsson spinning through the air in the process.
At the other end Blues' keeper Maik Taylor was equally as alert, nipping in to twice snatch the ball before Mellor could get on the end of crosses.

Keith Fahey was not far away with a 25-yard rocket and full-back Jones was in exactly
the right spot to head Gary O'Connor's shot off the line after Lonergan had failed to get enough on an attempted punch.

Mellor's penalty claims were ignored by referee Phil Dowd after big defender Radhi Jaidi appeared to tug his arm as he went for a cross.

After 25 minutes Mellor very nearly silenced a noisy St Andrew's crowd when his curling low cross from the left found its way through the goalmouth and bounced against the foot of the far post, with Sedgwick following up to hammer the rebound into the side-netting from close range when he looked certain to score.

Two minutes later Frank Queudrue was booked when he tried to turn a cross in with his hand. Lee Bowyer followed him into Mr Dowd's book for a cynical trip on Eddie Nolan.

And Jon Parkin became the third player to see yellow in the space of just a few minutes when he was cautioned for a body-check on Stephen Carr.

Mellor was sent tumbling again in the Birmingham box, this time as a result of a meaty challenge by Jaidi, but once again Mr Dowd was not interested.
Jaidi breathed a sigh of relief and promptly went down the other end and almost scored, his header from a left-wing corner just clearing the bar.

Seven minutes into the second half Villa fan St Ledger, who had dreamed of scoring against the team he hated as a youngster, got the chance to do just when McKenna's inch-perfect cross found him six yards out with the goal at his mercy, but somehow the defender nodded wide of the near post and turned away clutching his head in his hands.

As so often happens a bad miss at one end became a goal at the other and Birmingham took advantage of their good fortune to surge upfield and grab the opener.

McFadden got down the right and then cut in to send a left-foot cross into the middle for Fahey to run on to and plant a firm header past the helpless Lonergan and the stadium erupted.

Three minutes after that the two sides were reduced to 10 men each when Williamson and Bowyer tussled after a challenge, the wrestling started on the floor and continued as both got to their feet. But as the pair stood forehead to forehead they had to be pulled apart and Mr Dowd produced the red card to send them both off for violent conduct.

For a few moments Preston looked like their heads might drop. But Irvine's side are made of sterner stuff and within eight minutes of falling behind they were level.

A long ball up the middle was headed out by Jaidi, the ball fell for Wallace, he laid it off for McKenna and the skipper let fly from 30 yards to beat Taylor all ends up with a screamer which curled beyond him into the net.

Birmingham thought they had taken the lead again after 75 minutes when sub Cameron Jerome headed in a right-wing cross, but the goal was chalked off by an offside flag.

One fan, believing it was a goal, ran on to the pitch and dribbled the ball around the field before he was unceremoniously kicked to the floor by Jerome and then had the ball kicked at him by Mellor before running off and finally being apprehended by police.

McFadden saw a curling shot flash just wide of the far post, Fahey was only inches too high with another effort and Jerome spooned over the top from barely six yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Mellor won a free-kick on the edge of the Birmingham box and the decision so infuriated another local fan that he too ran on to the field and went towards McKenna in a threatening manner before stewards pounced on him and wrestled him to the floor.

Four minutes from time sub Brown had a great chance to win the match and keep Preston in the play-off chase when Mellor's low cross from the right was missed by the Birmingham defence, but the striker could not force it home from close range and keeper Taylor was able to smother the ball.

With the clock having ticked into the final minute of normal time Preston won a free-kick 25 yards from goal and with the Birmingham defen ce expecting another McKenna missile, Wallace stepped up instead to curl a beauty off the inside of the right post and into the opposite corner of the net.

The winger ran away to celebrate the goal in front of the Preston fans and took his shirt off to wave above his head. But referee Dowd produced a yellow card - his second of the day - before making it red and leave Preston with only nine men for stoppage time.

Preston found themselves still in the play-off race as they kicked off at St Andrew's.
Fears that they may have only pride left to play for proved groundless after rivals Burnley could only draw at doomed Southampton and Cardiff were beaten by Roy Keane's Ipswich on their final appearance at Ninian Park.

Both results meant it was still mathematically possible for North End to claim a top six place if they could ruin Birmingham's planned promotion party.

The Blues needed three points from tonight's game in front of a packed St Andrew's to bounce straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Alan Irvine understandably stuck with the same side which crushed Cardiff 6-0 at Deepdale a week earlier, with the only change coming on the bench where Simon Whaley replaced striker Stephen Elliott.

The match gave central defender Sean St Ledger a chance to take on the side he hated as a youngster when he lived not far from St Andrew's but supported their bitterest rivals Aston Villa.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish made two changes to his team following a 1-0 win at Watford with Maik Taylor returning in goal in place of Colin Doyle and Djimi Traore replacing Murphy in defence.

Birmingham City: Taylor, Carr, Jaidi, Queudrue, Traore, Bowyer, Larsson, Johnson, Fahey, O'Connor, McFadden.

Substitutes: Doyle, Taylor, Carsley, Phillips, Jerome.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Nolan, Sedgwick, McKenna, Williamson, Wallace, Mellor, Parkin.

Substitutes: Neal, Brown, Carter, Chilvers, Whaley.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffs).

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