BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 ROVERS 2 Bent 41, Duff 52 NEWCASTLE chief Bobby Robson could be ready to launch a new bid for Damien Duff after the Irish wing-wizard took Rovers a step nearer the Premiership.

The former England boss is believed to have sent spies to St Andrews last night to keep an eye on the precocious 21-year-old.

And they must have headed back north with a glowing report after the jet-heeled wide-man lit-up this promotion battle with a stunning solo strike.

Without a League goal to his name all season, Duff chose the perfect moment to set the record straight with a priceless finish to put Rovers in pole position for that second automatic promotion spot.

And it turned out to be the icing on the cake for manager Graeme Souness as Duff and Co ensured the gaffer celebrated his first anniversary since taking charge in the best possible style.

"Damien is an extremely talented player. We see him in training and he borders on being a magician at times," purred a jubilant Souness.

"But the one criticism you would aim at him is that he doesn't get enough goals.

"Several times this season he's been in one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper and not finished.

"But tonight he finished it really well and we were delighted with that because it took a lot of pressure off us."

There are few finer sights on a football pitch than a confident Duff in full flight.

But the goal which ultimately sealed this precious victory was special even by his standards.

There looked to be little danger when he picked up a loose ball on the left in the 52nd minute after Marcus Bent had collapsed under a challenge from Darren Purse.

However, a quick dab on the accelerator and the young Irishman was away, suddenly slaloming between Purse and Peter Atherton before slotting a neat left-foot finish under the advancing Ian Bennett in the blink of an eye.

"I've been struggling to get on the scoresheet all season," said Duff.

"That was my first in the League although I don't know how it's taken so long because I seem to have hit every possible part of the woodwork.

"But I'm just glad it went in because it was a big goal for me and a big goal for the club."

Trevor Francis must be sick of the sight of Duff after it was he who won the controversial free kick at Ewood on Boxing Day from which Matt Jansen popped up to score his injury time winner.

The Blues boss -- a serial whinger in my book -- left Lancashire seething that day, claiming his side had been cheated out of a point.

Last night, however, even he ran out of excuses as Rovers mercilessly crushed their main rivals thanks to a classic away performance.

There was nothing sophiscated about Birmingham's bully-boy tactics.

Purse and his defensive colleagues were under instructions to launch the ball forward at every opportunity, in the hope that Geoff Horsfield and Andy Johnson might be able to conjure up some magic in the final third.

But Craig Short and Henning Berg were two towers of strength at the back, mopping up everything the Blues could throw at them.

Credit must go to Souness for winning the tactical battle.

Knowing Francis would stick to his favoured 4-4-2, the Ewood chief decided to go like-for-like.

And, in a scene reminiscent from the championship-winning season of '95, it was the performance of Duff and Keith Gillespie a la Jason Wilcox and Stuart Ripley on the flanks which ultimately laid the foundations for success.

Their willingness to get back and defend meant the Blues had to launch crosses into the box from deeper positions which turned out to be meat and drink to the likes of Short.

And, once Rovers weathered the initial storm, they then had the extra class to play their own brand of quick, incisive, one-touch football -- despite a real pudding of a pitch.

The visitors threatened to break the deadlock twice in the opening half hour as Gillespie blazed high and wide then Bennett denied Bent following a neat interchange with Duff.

But the Blues failed to heed the warning as Rovers struck a major psychological blow four minutes before the break.

Bent -- increasingly a man for the big occasion -- was once again the assassin, pouncing on a Gillespie cross to fire past Bennett via the aid of a deflection off Atherton.

That instantly silenced the home fans and they were completely on the canvas within seven minutes of the restart when Duff then performed his anniversary party piece.

It was kitchen sink stuff from the Blues after that as Francis went for broke, introducing Brazilian Marcelo as a third striker.

Friedel saved superbly from Woodhouse and Bryan Hughes dragged another golden effort wide from a clever set-piece routine on the edge of the box.

But, led by tenacious skipper Garry Flitcroft, Rovers soaked up the pressure.

And the frustration finally got too much for Purse who saw red in the last minute for elbowing Jansen in the face off the ball.

Even Mr Rennie couldn't miss that one.

"I've got a group of players that were criticised on many occasions last season for being fat cats and I even read that again today," said Souness.

"But I think my players showed tonight they really want it.

"I thought we played controlled football when we could and, when we had to roll our sleeves up and battle, we battled." I think my players showed tonight they really want it