UNITED 1 (McCormack 19) BIRMINGHAM 4 (Zigic 30, 61, 64, 67)

United: Lonergan, Thompson, Lees, O'Dea, White, Snodgrass, Clayton, Delph, Townsend, McCormack, Becchio. Subs: Taylor, Bruce, Brown, Pugh, Nunez.

Birmingham: Myhill, Murphy, Spector, Davies, Caldwell, Burke, Fahey, Gomis (Redmond 80), Mutch, Elliott, Zigic.  Subs: Doyle, Carr, Ibanez, Rooney.

Referee: M Dean

Booked: Davies (Birmingham)

Att: 19,628

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United manager Simon Grayson made two changes to his starting line-up with Aidy White replacing Danny Pugh and Luciano Becchio coming back in for Mikael Forssell.

And Becchio was immediately in the action first flicking on an Andros Townsend  ball into the box for Robert Snodgrass which  was scrambled clear, then moments later he was denied from close range by more great defending.

On four minutes he was presented with another great chance when he latched onto a good ball forward, but he slid the ball past an advancing Bo Myhill and past the post.

United made a very positive start, and Myhill was called into action again when Fabian Delph picked out the Scot with a superb cross-field ball.

Birmingham were reduced to playing on the counter and Chris Burke, who had caused problems earlier in the season at St Andrews, tested Lonergan with a deft flick when he got the wrong side if the Leeds defence after showing good movement.

United were in front after 19 minutes, though, when Ross McCormack showed good skill to work himself an opening on the edge of the box before tucking the ball beyond Myhill into the corner with a good left foot strike.

But, despite offering little during the opening half-hour, Birmingham were level with their first serious raid when Nicola Zigic headed home a cross from close range.

But it was United who continued to be more of a threat with Delph, Townsend, Snodgrass, and White all making good forays as Birmingham were forced into defending deeply and stoutly.

As at Birmingham, the visitors relied heavily on the pace of Burke as the main outlet with the winger looking to use the right flank as the supply line for Zigic.

The Serbian striker had scored against United when the two sides met earlier in the season and he forced a save out of Lonergan at the start of the second half.

But Myhill came to Birmingham's rescue six minutes in when he did well to get a hand to a Becchio header after Darren O'Dea lifted a cross back into the box.

The Blues keeper was called upon again moments later to make another good reaction  save from a Becchio strike.

But it was 2-1 to the visitors on the hour when the familiar supply line of Burke did well down the right and he pulled the ball back for Zigic who scored with an unstoppable strike.

And it was 3-1 moments later when Morgaro Gomis supplied a cross from the left and Zigic headed home to complete his hat-trick.

There was worse to come when it became 4-1 moments later after Zigic bagged his fourth of the night, heading home another cross.

As the game headed towards its inevitable conclusion there was no way back for a Leeds side who quite simply never recovered from conceding three times in the space of seven second half minutes.