Savage, who has been struggling with a groin injury, was angry at being hauled off after an hour following his yellow card for a foul on Gavin McCann.

But the Welsh international led the celebrations on the Birmingham bench as Clinton Morrison's 89th-minute strike earned them the points.

And Bruce stood by his decision to substitute the midfielder for the good of the team.

"He behaved like my 15-year-old daughter," the manager joked after the game.

But he added that leaving Savage on might have scuppered Blues' chances of victory.

"Robbie's had a groin injury and he hurt his knee at half-time," he said.

"He wasn't 100% before the game and then when he got the yellow card and Aliou Cisse got the yellow card as well, I just thought I had to do it.

"I will do whatever I think is right for the best of the team and I couldn't afford three players in the middle of the park all on yellow cards, especially with Robbie not 100%.

"At the time, he didn't think I was right, but I'm the one who makes the decisions. That's what I'm paid for.

"But it's all forgotten about," he added.

"Sometimes it's nice to see a bit of emotion and a bit of passion. He desperately didn't want to come off."

Savage played a major role in Birmingham's domination of the game's first hour before Sunderland rallied in the closing stages.