Wolverhampton: Stephen Hunt scored a late first-half goal to give Wolverhampton Wanderers a 1-0 win over fellow Premier League struggler Birmingham on Sunday.
Hunt scored his second goal of the season with a close-range shot in the 45th minute after a pass from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
Substitute Kevin Phillips wasted a chance to grab an 89th-minute equaliser for Birmingham when he headed wide.
Wolves stopped the opposition from scoring for the first time this season to go to 15 points, three clear of last-place West Ham and just one point away from climbing out of the three-team relegation zone.
Birmingham's Ben Foster denied Wolves a more comfortable victory with a string of impressive saves, starting in the 10th when he dived to his right to stop Dave Edwards' goal-bound header.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper was at it again less than 60 seconds later, denying Hunt with a great point-blank block after the ball broke six yards out.
Ward lobbed a speculative effort over the crossbar before Ebanks-Blake's effort was parried by Foster at the near post.
Ward did find the net just before the interval but was flagged offside. Yet there was nothing wrong with Hunt's 45th-minute breakthrough as he got in between Roger Johnson and Stephen Carr to connect with Ebanks-Blake's low cross, leaving Foster with no chance.
An unmarked Edwards should have doubled Wolves' advantage within minutes of the restart but he headed wide from Ward's right-wing cross.
In the second half, Foster was again called into action, getting his body behind Nenad Milijas' free-kick before collecting Ronald Zubar's tame shot.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish turned to Craig Gardner and Jean Beausejour from the bench but it was Foster who remained busy, tipping Milijas' header over the bar.
It was the first time a Wolves team led by manager Mick McCarthy had beaten Midlands rival Birmingham in seven league attempts.
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