Bruce eyes Premiership return

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce before a Premiership match against Tottenham at Saint Andrews in Birmingham, March 2006. Bruce believes Birmingham are on course for promotion after Nicklas Bendtner fired his side back to the top of the Championship on Tuesday.

Steve Bruce believes Birmingham are on course for promotion after Nicklas Bendtner fired his side back to the top of the Championship on Tuesday.

On-loan Arsenal striker Bendtner struck early on against Leeds at St Andrews and Bruce's team held on for 1-0 win that moved them a point clear of West Bromwich Albion at the top of the table.

Birmingham, relegated from the Premiership last season, are in pole position to go straight back up and Bruce said: "We are delighted to be top of the league and we have an outstanding chance to earn promotion, although there are still going to be some ticklish moments between now and the end of the season.

"What we have to guard against is this air that seems to have been about the place that we have a divine right to be top of the table and a divine right to go up because we were in the Premiership last year. There is no divine right."

Blues came close to breaking the deadlock when Gary McSheffrey drove in a 25-yard free-kick that was just scrambled off the line by David Healy.

Leeds' reprieve was short-lived however as McSheffrey whipped in the resulting 15th minute corner and Bendtner headed home.

Dennis Wise's team were close to equalising when Birmingham keeper Colin Doyle got a touch on Richard Cresswell's shot to divert the ball onto a post before Martin Taylor hacked off the line.

That was as close as Leeds came and they are now without a win in four matches and rooted to the bottom of the table.

Wise is refusing to panic and he said: "We have got to look at things in a positive manner and I would be worried if we were not creating chances, but we are, and we should have had at least a point out of Birmingham."

Norwich midfielder Simon Lappin hit a superb stoppage time winner as his side came from behind to claim a 3-2 victory at Luton.

The kick-off at Kenilworth Road had been delayed by 15 minutes because of power problems which prevented fans from entering the stadium.

But Luton started well and took the lead in the 11th minute when Bjorn Runstrom, on loan from Fulham, converted David Bell's cross.

Norwich were level in the 26th minute as Chris Martin drove in a perfectly-placed shot from an acute angle just inside the penalty area.

Bell set up Luton's second in the 48th minute as he skipped around Norwich keeper Paul Gallacher and crossed to Drew Talbot, who looped a header into the empty net.

But Peter Grant's side refused to accept defeat and Jason Shackell equalised in the 73rd minute with a near-post header from Youssef Safri's free-kick.

Just when it looked as though both teams had settled for a point, Lappin won it when he bent a free-kick past Marlon Beresford from the edge of the area for his first ever Norwich goal.

Luton boss Mike Newell admitted his side face a fight for survival and said: "It is a killer blow. We didn't deserve that outcome, given the effort we put in and the football we played.

"We are already in the relegation scrap. But I do not worry about it."