Joe Brown handed chairman Julian Rhodes the perfect birthday present as City took a much-needed leap from the

relegation abyss last night.

Rhodes turned 37 on Monday but he won't have minded waiting 24 hours for the one gift he really wanted.

Nor will anyone be bothered about the time of the points-clinching goal - scored even later than Nicky Summerbee's winner two minutes from time against the same opponents last season. It was two minutes into stoppage time when two teenage substitutes combined to save City's bacon and secure a first Valley Parade victory since December.

In a move straight from the youth team, winger Joe Colbeck drilled in a pinpoint centre for Brown to nod past keeper Lee Jones from eight yards out.

The scenes of celebration that followed brought memories flooding back of the day Danny Forrest scored on his home debut against Ipswich.

Here was another local lad, a City fan through and through, living the dream by

netting the winning goal right under the eyes of an adoring Kop.

The game itself had been no oil painting. But they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and none of the City fans and

players were complaining as they went potty. Saturday's nightmare against Oldham will not be completely forgotten but the three points gleaned against a Blackpool side also involved in the survival scramble certainly helped make amends.

Unfortunately for Brown, his magic moment was missed by his mum and dad, who were busy frying at Wrose Fisheries, the chip shop they own. I bet the portions were generous once news of his heroics filtered through...

The 18-year-old had not anticipated playing any part despite being called into the squad, alongside Michael Symes, in the wake of Steve Claridge's sudden departure.

Claridge, expected to seal a loan move today, and Owen Morrison were axed from the 16. Steve Schumacher was also nowhere to be seen, although he had picked up a slight injury according to his manager.

Brown got the nod at half-time after Colin Todd ran out of patience with Ben Muirhead.

Muirhead, like Morrison, has the capacity to excite and frustrate in equal measures. And despite seeing plenty of the ball in the first 45 minutes, possibly more than any of his team-mates, there was very little to show for it.

He almost ran City into big trouble by coughing up possession on the halfway line after a meandering sideways run but fortunately the lively Keigan Parker scuffed his shot.

That was one of the few genuine opportunities in a nervy half. Blackpool started and finished the better, City had the bulk of the

middle bit, but there was not much for a chilly crowd to get worked up about.

City's best opportunity came after 14 minutes when Aaron Wilbraham nodded on a booming kick by Donovan Ricketts. Danny Cadamarteri, back in the side at Claridge's expense, was suddenly in on goal but he stumbled on the ball and the chance went begging.

The home defence was back on song after Saturday's blip with David Wetherall and Damion Stewart both cutting off potential flashpoints with spot-on interceptions.

Ricketts was well protected, although the big Jamaican had to show Commonwealth Games-style hurdling skills to avoid injury when his momentum took him at least half a dozen rows up the Midland Road stand as he tried to keep a ball in play.

He was finally called upon six minutes before the break after a scramble from a Blackpool corner and produced a superb save to tip away a smart effort from Parker.

A real scare followed as another Parker shot was half-smothered by the sliding Wilbraham which sent the ball looping up and over the keeper and against the top of the City bar.

City were living on their nerves for a few moments and crossed wires between Muirhead and Darren Holloway created another Blackpool break which Bower defused in the six-yard box.

Tom Penford, back from his two-game "breather", ended the half by giving Jones some simple catching practice to register the first home shot on target - and spark a chorus of "We are staying up" from the fans.

After the mutinous mood of Saturday, the supporters were at least staying with City, who gave them something to cheer less than a minute after the restart with a dangerous low cross from Lewis Emanuel.

That was the first of several tantalising centres from the much-maligned Emanuel, who seemed to grow in confidence as the second half went on.

He found he had the beating of on-loan right back Sam Stockley, so much so that the City man even did him with a cheeky nutmeg.

Emanuel produced a nifty shuffle and cross-cum-shot that clipped the outside of the post which helped to crank up the volume.

It was getting too tense to watch as a Marc Bridge-Wilkinson corner brushed off Wilbraham's head in front of goal, while David Fox tried to catch out Ricketts from 35 yards at the other end.

Todd made his second change with 20 minutes to go and unleashed Colbeck for the ineffective Cadamarteri, who looked less than impressed to be taken off.

Colbeck's arrival against Bristol City had got the crowd going and his reappearance had a

similar effect. There was a buzz every time he got the ball.

The Bantams were forcing the pace but still the ball would not fall right. Keith Southern nicked a cross away from the lurking Wilbraham, then Bridge-Wilkinson couldn't quite take a return pass as he burst into the box.

Colbeck charged upfield to win a corner and lashed a fierce drive across goal. Then Emanuel stood up a perfect cross to the back post where Brown was just muscled out of it by Marc Joseph.

Todd's last throw of the dice was the shock return of Michael Symes for his first City outing since New Year's Day last year - when he was subbed well before half-time at Port Vale.

City now had a youthful front line whose combined age equalled that of Claridge. But Symes showed he was not there just to make up the numbers and immediately drilled another ball into the goalmouth that was begging to be tucked away.

Then just when it seemed that nothing would fall their way, City staged the late show. The ball once again ping-ponged around the Blackpool box before landing at Colbeck's feet.

Resisting the temptation to go for glory with a volley, he did what all good wingers are told and crossed. Brown's mop of hair did the rest and Valley Parade was belatedly smiling again.