THIS was an occasion that was supposed to be about Birmingham’s future under the ownership of Carson Yeung and the home fans left the ground with a thoroughly deserved victory to relish, but their turbulent recent past just wouldn’t go away. Sunderland manager Steve Bruce received a welcome on his return as warm as the one that greeted new chairman Vico Hui when the Chinese businessman came out to make a speech to the faithful.

The Birmingham fans well remember the last time Yeung made his presence felt at the club; Bruce disappeared and Birmingham were relegated, and they don’t appear to have forgiven the new owner, who sat in the directors’ box alongside his adviser Steve McManaman.

Neither was Bruce in the mood to forgive and forget, choosing to aim his fire at Birmingham’s departed managing director Karren Brady, who praised him richly in the build-up to this game. “The fans gave me a good reception, but the patronising stuff from Miss Brady this morning I find really galling,” Bruce said.

Bruce’s mood wasn’t helped by his players turning up with their loungers and sunglasses out after their beach ball goal of last week against Liverpool. They were duly punished by a goal in each half, the first a disputed effort from Liam Ridgewell and the second a fine goal from James McFadden. Sunderland pulled a goal back towards the end but left themselves with too much to do.

From the off, the home side were busier and created the better chances. On 37 minutes Sebastian Larsson whipped over a free kick that Liam Ridgewell bundled in from what might have been an offside position. Three minutes after half-time, Larsson and Christian Benitez were again involved, the Swede finding the diminutive Ecuadorean, who produced a delightful back-heeled flick into the path of McFadden. The Scot pulled the ball past David Bardsley and coolly rolled it into the far corner.

Bruce responded by throwing on Bolo Zenden, Fraizer Campbell and George McCartney and his side pulled a goal back nine minutes from the end, Michael Turner’s effort deflected in off Scott Dann, but the home side held on. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said: “There is a feelgood factor, the fans sense it and St Andrew’s could be full in the coming weeks. It was an excellent performance against an expensively assembled team.”

Now, like the rest of us, he waits on Yeung to deliver.

Star man: Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham).

Yellow cards: Birmingham: Johnson, Ferguson, McSheffrey. Sunderland: Gordon.

Referee: M Atkinson. Attendance: 21,723.

BIRMINGHAM: Hart 5, Carr 7, Johnson 7, Dann 7, Ridgewell 7, Larsson 8 (Carsley 84min), Ferguson 6, Bowyer 7, McFadden 7 (O’Connor 76min), Benitez 8, Jerome 6 (McSheffrey 76min).

SUNDERLAND: Gordon 5, Bardsley 6, Ferdinand 6, Turner 6, Richardson 5, Malbranque 4 (Campbell 68min), Henderson 4 (McCartney 68min), Cana 4 (Zenden 68min), Reid 7, Jones 5, Bent 5.