BIRMINGHAM'S co-owner David Sullivan has conceded defeat in the race for automatic promotion. The controversial Blues' supremo says a disastrous run of results - they have taken just one point from their last five games - has left the way clear for Wanderers and Blackburn to slug it out for second spot.

And, although Trevor Francis' fourth-placed side hold a seven-point lead over seventh-placed Watford, he is not even taking a top six finish for granted!

Sullivan reckons they need 76 points to secure a third successive play-off appearance.

"We are now looking at the top six," he confirmed, "and the fact is that from the comparatively simple requirement of taking eight points from 12 games, we now have the harder job of getting at least seven from our final seven to finish in the top six.

"It is not an enormous task and we have just got to go out and pick up the points we need. We need to work that much harder to get where we want to be and if we can't get seven points from seven games, or whatever it takes, then we won't deserve to be in the play-offs."

Five of Birmingham's remaining seven games are away from home - they visit the Reebok next Friday - but, considering the current state of the St Andrews pitch, they appear to be happier on the road.