Match ends, Birmingham City 3, Coventry City 0.
Birmingham City beat play-off chasing neighbours Coventry City to improve their Championship survival hopes.
Coventry defender Bobby Thomas's own goal unsettled the visitors, before Ivan Sunjic fired in his first goal in almost two years, then Blues top scorer Jay Stansfield netted from close range.
Birmingham are one point above the drop zone with three games to go.
Coventry are now eight points off the play-off places, but still have four games left - three of them at home.
Eight days away from their Wembley date with Manchester United, the FA Cup semi-finalists looked the more confident side in possession early on, when Milan van Ewijk fired a low shot narrowly wide.
Birmingham responded with neat build-up play that found winger Koji Miyoshi at the back post, but his strike could only find the side netting.
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- Birmingham 'fighting for their lives', warns Mark Robins
Moments later, Keshi Anderson crept his way into the Sky Blues penalty area and his drive ricocheted off defender Thomas and in.
Coventry continued to work hard in the hope that their quality would shine through. Haji Wright produced a delicate lob to beat John Ruddy, only for his shot to cannon off the crossbar.
But four minutes from the break, the Sky Blues failed to clear properly from a corner and Sunjic was waiting in space to strike the ball beautifully past goalkeeper Brad Collins - an emotional first goal since April 2022 after spending last season on loan at Hertha Berlin.
Birmingham started the second half where they left off as Stansfield collected the ball smartly inside the penalty area to fired through Collins' legs.
When the full-time whistle sounded at St Andrew's, Birmingham remained one point inside the relegation zone.
But Bristol City's late equaliser against Huddersfield moved Blues above the Terriers and up into 21st place.
Birmingham City interim manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio WM:
"It had a little bit of everything. That was the nice bit about it.
"We spoke a few home truths after Wednesday, and in fairness, it was the players that mainly led that.
"What I tried to do is pick a team that I felt would go and put that out onto the pitch.
"We limited them to very few clear-cut chances. It allowed us to then go and show the quality we have got in the final third."
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"I could have taken everyone off at half time. There was just nothing. It was a non-performance.
"We were second best to everything. When you are fighting for your lives at the bottom of the division, you know that this is going to be a tough game.
"When you have got a situation that we are in, where we are trying to get into the play-offs, you expect a response and we didn't have enough of a response.
"The energy, the way that we think, the way that we were making mistakes from a tactical point of view - where we start to move into spaces - is just foreign to me."
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 21Ruddy
- 2Laird
- 6Bielik
- 5Sanderson
- 3Buchanan
- 13Paik Seung-hoSubstituted forGardnerat 88'minutes
- 34SunjicBooked at 18mins
- 11MiyoshiBooked at 79minsSubstituted forBacunaat 82'minutes
- 8RobertsSubstituted forHallat 76'minutes
- 14AndersonSubstituted forJamesat 76'minutes
- 28StansfieldBooked at 54minsSubstituted forHoganat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Etheridge
- 7Bacuna
- 9Hogan
- 16Dozzell
- 17Dembélé
- 19James
- 20Gardner
- 35Hall
- 44Aiwu
Coventry
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 40Collins
- 22LatibeaudiereBooked at 54mins
- 4ThomasSubstituted forTavares Desidérioat 45'minutes
- 15Kitching
- 21BidwellSubstituted forDasilvaat 45'minutes
- 29TorpSubstituted forEcclesat 45'minutesBooked at 72mins
- 14Sheaf
- 27van Ewijk
- 45PalmerSubstituted forO'Hareat 72'minutes
- 11Wright
- 9Simms
Substitutes
- 2Binks
- 3Dasilva
- 6Kelly
- 10O'Hare
- 13Wilson
- 24Godden
- 28Eccles
- 30Tavares Desidério
- 54Andrews
- Referee:
- Thomas Bramall
- Attendance:
- 26,811
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home29%
- Away71%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away2
- Corners
- Home3
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 3, Coventry City 0.
Post update
Callum O'Hare (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Lee Buchanan (Birmingham City).
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Gary Gardner.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ellis Simms (Coventry City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jay Dasilva.
Post update
Josh Eccles (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Scott Hogan (Birmingham City).
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner replaces Paik Seung-Ho.
Post update
Attempt saved. Scott Hogan (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paik Seung-Ho.
Post update
Foul by Milan van Ewijk (Coventry City).
Post update
Jordan James (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Dion Sanderson.
Post update
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Milan van Ewijk.
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. Scott Hogan replaces Jay Stansfield.
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. Juninho Bacuna replaces Koji Miyoshi.
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Jordan James.
Booking
Koji Miyoshi (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Koji Miyoshi (Birmingham City).
Comments
Join the conversation
Massive result today against a good team chasing promotion. We have the fight for this. Hopefully we have enough left in the tank.
Same starting 11 for the last three games.
KRO. Z
The conspiracy theorist can have their fun, but whatever. Cov fans, if we play each other next season, we can pay you back 😉