The sun was shining on Birmingham City in more ways than one in the West Country as Harry Redknapp masterminded their escape from the threat of relegation with a second victory from his three matches in charge – as many as Gianfranco Zola registered across the ill-fated four months that left the Midlands club fighting for their life on the final day of the season.

Che Adams, playing after his red card against Huddersfield Town the previous week was rescinded, scored the all-important goal in the 16th minute and it was enough to prevent Birmingham from sliding into the third tier for the first time in 22 years. Cue delirium among the 2,500 travelling supporters at the final whistle.

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Full credit to Redknapp, who was 70 in March but looked like a 17-year-old as he ran towards the Birmingham fans at the final whistle, one fist clenched in the air. He was appointed only 19 days ago but in that short space of time has managed to galvanise a club who were in freefall, picking up back-to-back wins against Huddersfield and Bristol City. Anything less and Birmingham would have suffered the ignominy of relegation.

The sight of six minutes being added at the end of normal time must have done nothing for Redknapp’s state of mind in the closing stages. Aden Flint, the Bristol City central defender, volleyed over during that period as Birmingham faced a late aerial onslaught, yet Redknapp’s players defended resolutely throughout and got their reward.

In the process Redknapp has got Birmingham’s owner, Trillion Trophy Asia, off the hook following the calamitous decision to sack Gary Rowett in December and replace him with Zola, who took the team from the verge of the play-offs to the brink of the relegation zone before tendering his resignation last month.

The question for Birmingham now is whether Redknapp will stay on as manager, a decision that seems far from straightforward on so many levels. Redknapp claimed to have had no contact with Birmingham’s owner, which is based in Hong Kong and has revealed next to nothing about itself since taking over. Then there is the issue of how keen Redknapp is to take on the slog of a Championship season with a club a long way from his home on the south coast.

“It depends on everything, doesn’t it?” Redknapp said when asked whether he would be interested in the job. “It’s difficult. I’ve got a good situation in my life – I’m not chasing work. I work with a few different companies. I’ll have a chat and see what their ambitions are. If they’re ambitious and want to go somewhere and have a go next year, I’d be interested.

“But I don’t know what their plans are. They might have somebody else in mind. I’ve never, honestly, discussed anything with anybody. I haven’t met anybody who owns the club. Let’s have a chat and see where we’re going.”

In a moment of comical timing during his post-match press conference Redknapp’s phone had gone off a few minutes earlier: “Someone is ringing me. Beijing in China? My God. Maybe there is a job going in China? I’m off to China.”

Whatever happens in the future Redknapp will always have a place in the hearts of Blues supporters for the way he has rescued the season. Their fans were chanting his name long after the final whistle as they drifted away from Ashton Gate, where the 25,404 attendance was the highest for 37 years.

Birmingham had betrayed no sign of nerves from the outset, so it seemed as though the goal that decided this game had been coming. Adams had threatened on two occasions before he accepted a pass from Lukas Jutkiewicz, rolled Flint and drilled a low shot beyond Fabian Giefer, silencing the taunts from the home fans. “You could hear the crowd singing ‘Two-nil to Blackburn and you’re going down,’” Redknapp said. “Then suddenly we scored.”

Bristol City, with nothing to play for essentially, threatened only sporadically. Joe Bryan and Josh Brownhill shot narrowly wide, Bailey Wright headed over and then came that late chance for Flint during injury time. Redknapp’s face was a picture when it was put to him that Lee Mason, the referee, failed to play the full six additional minutes. “I think we should go out and play the extra minute,” he said. “Really, I think we should come back next Saturday and have another minute with them.”