Birmingham eased to a 3-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday to maintain their place at the top of the table.
All the action comes inside the opening 45 minutes at St Andrews
Birmingham eased to a 3-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday to maintain their place at the top of the table.
The result represented the first time the Blues have scored three times in a Championship fixture this season.
Garry O'Connor headed them in front after just 11 minutes, only for Etienne Esajas to pull the visitors level with a quick free-kick shortly after.
O'Connor brought a crazy four-minute spell to an end by putting the hosts back in front with his fifth league goal of the season, before Kevin Phillips rounded off a thoroughly entertaining first half just before the break.
Alex McLeish's outfit dominated throughout, but failed to add to their tally after the break against an Owls side who had Jimmy Smith sent off in the 69th minute for leading with an elbow.
The result, which could and maybe should have been more emphatic for Blues, extends their unbeaten record to six games while adding to Wednesday's woes on the road this season.
The visitors enjoyed the better of the opening five minutes, asking questions of a Birmingham defence that had conceded just one goal at St Andrew's this season prior to kick-off.
O'Connor headed the first real chance of the encounter straight at Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant, but he made no mistake after 11 minutes to hand Birmingham a crucial early breakthrough.
Sebastian Larsson whipped over a great free-kick from the right and the Scotland striker powered a header into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Wednesday were level just three minutes later as Esajas took advantage of a Blues defence that took far too long to organise themselves and rifled a free-kick into the top corner.
Instinctive
But in a spell full of twists and turns, McLeish's side regained their advantage within a minute through an instinctive finish from O'Connor.
Phillips broke clear but was denied by a brilliant save from the feet of Grant shortly after, while Larsson flashed a free-kick narrowly over.
Both sides were enjoying possession as the first half wore on and it was apparent a fourth goal would prove key to the direction of the result.
And it was Phillips who grabbed it for the Blues seven minutes before the interval.
Left-back Franck Queudrue played an inch-perfect through ball from his own half and the former England marksman got the better of the Owls defence before making no mistake from 12 yards out.
The home side started the second half in an attacking fashion, determined to improve on a poor goalscoring record that had seen them score just six times at home this term before the start of the day.
Grant tipped Queudrue's header over the bar before Cameron Jerome and Phillips wasted half chances.
Wednesday's hopes of getting anything from the game were then extinguished after 69 minutes when Smith was shown red for leading with an elbow in a challenge with Stuart Parnaby.
The sending off took the sting out of the game, with Birmingham content to play out the final 20 minutes and extend their formidable home record.
