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Birmingham City consolidated fourth place in the Championship with a hard-fought victory over Burnley.

Striker Marlon King gave the away side the lead in the first half with a strike into the bottom corner.

Burnley hit back in the second period courtesy of a Danny Ings header, but moments later Jordon Mutch put the visitors in front again.

They completed the victory late on as full-back David Murphy was quickest to pounce after keeper Lee Grant's error.

The victory puts the Midlands side three points ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough with six games to go, though still 10 points behind second-placed Reading.

King set them on their way to a second successive win with his 16th goal of the season.

Towering Blues striker Nikola Zigic flicked on a Murphy throw-in and King made the most of the space he was allowed to fire home, despite Grant getting a hand to his shot.

King almost added a second but he hesitated when clear and Michael Duff rescued Burnley with a last-ditch tackle.

Junior Stanislas came on for the injured Dean Marney and brought a new energy to the home side, and they almost equalised when Blues keeper Boaz Myhill was stranded and Charlie Austin's speculative long-range effort had to be headed behind by Curtis Davies.

The Clarets came even closer to a leveller when Ings latched on to a Stanislas cut-back only for his shot to hit the bar before Austin nodded the rebound against the woodwork.

The equaliser eventually came when Ings headed in an inviting cross from Ross Wallace.

Burnley barely had time to celebrate, however, before Birmingham restored their lead when King surged forward and found Mutch, who applied the finish.

Grant's 88th-minute blunder let Murphy put a slightly flattering gloss on the scoreline but Birmingham will see this as a vital win as they still have automatic promotion contenders West Ham and Reading still to play.

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