Alex McLeish hailed his match winner Kevin Phillips a 'genius' after the striker's two-goal blast secured another three points for Blues in today's derby victory over Wolves.

The experienced marksman has started only one Barclays Premier League game this season and he has been left a frustrated spectator on the bench as an unused sub in the majority of the games during the club's recent tremendous run.

Phillips has had to be patient but when he got the call from his manager early in the second half this afternoon, the ex-West Brom man came up with a clinical brace to leave the gold and black half of the Black Country pig sick.

"That's the advantage of having quality on the bench," said the boss, as he reflected on his side's 2-1 win achieved courtesy of Phillips' two predatory strikes.

"It's difficult to keep the morale up of any player that has been a first choice all his career and who expects to have more game time.

"But I have to say that Phillips has been an exemplary professional. It's difficult for me to keep walking by him in the corridor everyday and saying 'keep your chin up' because it can sound patronising at times.

"But he's been tremendous. I spoke to him after the window closed and said I felt that he could make more of the game play in this half of the season because I had decided to stay with the four strikers and Kevin was delighted with that.

"We've seen a spring in his step at training, he looked sharp in training despite being out for three weeks but with the ability that he's got, Kevin will never lose that.

"He'll go baldie or lose all his teeth at some stage, or he'll lose his legs, but he'll always have that magnificent technique and touch of a top player that he's got.

"If you get balls into the box then Phillips will score. I wish Kevin would help me and tell me the secret so I can help my other strikers!

"It's that elusiveness, defenders turn and look at the ball and Kevin ghosts into the spaces where the ball might drop. It's just the hallmarks of a genius."

McLeish admitted that, after a promising start, his team looked a little out of sorts compared to their performances in recent months.

"We started well in the game and Wolves worked hard to keep us out and then they bedded themselves into the match and we were a wee bit careless, giving away free-kicks on the edge of the box," continued the Blues boss.

"We died a little bit and allowed Wolves to get that territory in the last third and I could feel a goal coming and, sure enough, Wolves took a precious lead.

"We spoke at half-time and we were looking for more inspiration but again it looked a little bit flat again until we made the changes."

All three substitutes combined to produce the equalising goal with Keith Fahey and Craig Gardner involved in the build-up to Phillips' first strike.

McLeish commented: "It worked today, we got lucky, but the good thing was the quality of the three subs that come on. Gardner made a great contribution when he came on and made a goal, Fahey made the cross and the energy from these guys with their fresh legs enabled us to go at Wolves defenders as they were tiring.

"And when you're pinning a team back into their box, then who better to have on the pitch than Phillips?"

Phillips replaced Christian Benitez in attack after the Ecuadorian was stretchered off 18 minutes into the second half. McLeish revealed that the injury to Chucho isn't too serious.

"He went over on his ankle and the doctor doesn't think it's too bad so we're hopeful that he isn't missing for too long. We'll need to wait for 24 hours and get it scanned, that's the usual procedure," he explained.