Birmingham City must be wishing they could play West Ham United every week, after their 1-0 EPL win over their fellow strugglers last Sunday lifted the Blues a point clear of the relegation zone.

It was a good few days for manager Alex McLeish’s men, who held big-spending Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at St. Andrews four days earlier.

And Birmingham’s last bit of transfer window business was finally completed this week with the issue of a visa to on-loan Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins.

Much-criticised Serbian striker Nikola Zigic headed the Blues winner at Upton Park and manager Alex McLeish admitted afterwards that the game had not been one for the purists.

He said: “I am delighted and relieved. It was a difficult game to watch from the sidelines and I don’t think it was that pretty. I’m sure the critics will have a dig at it but there’s a lot of tension in the Premier League at the top, middle and bottom.”

Birmingham completed the loan signing of former Newcastle frontman Martins on the final evening of the transfer window.

The 26-year-old Nigerian was at Russian side Rubin Kazan and the deal will see him at St. Andrews for six months, to the end of the season and beyond.

Formalities including a work permit were tied up at the time. But Martins was only granted a visa this week.

Birmingham host in-form, ninth-placed Stoke City in the EPL this coming Saturday afternoon. Martins is expected to be available.