CHRIS Hughton praised Nikola Zigic's for his stunning four-goal performance that saw off Leeds United.

And the manager stressed that the type of service Zigic received from his Birmingham City team mates should not go unrecognised.

Zigic became the first Blues players since Kenny Burns in 1976 to score four times in a match.

And Hughton enthused: "I'm really pleased for Nikola.

"He's a big lad and when you're 6ft 8in at times you're not going to be most graceful, the quickest, he can be ungainly, but he can also be a real handful, as he showed.

"They were very, very good finishes. Not only from a technical point of view, but his movement to get into the positions was excellent.

"And when we are able to provide Nikola with such great service, getting the ball into the right areas, it makes all the difference."

Blues stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games and moved up to fourth in the Championship with last night's result.