Daryl Murphy’s ninth goal of the season saw Town to a 1-0 home victory over Birmingham. The Blues might have added to their lead in the second half with Paul Taylor twice coming close with curling efforts from just outside the area.
Taylor replaced Stephen Hunt in an otherwise unchanged Town side but with new loan signing Jonny Williams missing from the 18, having picked up a minor knock in training on Friday. The Blues lined-up in a 4-3-3 formation with Taylor up front with Daryl Murphy and Frank Nouble.
Town started brightly, Murphy sending a dangerous ball across the Birmingham box but behind his team-mates, however, the first significant chance fell to the visitors in the third minute. Nikola Zigic’s header found Lee Novak on the left just inside the box but the striker mis-hit his shot well wide.
There was a scare for the Blues in the 11th minute when Zigic blocked Tommy Smith's clearance and sent Federico Macheda away on goal. Fortunately for Town, Christophe Berra got back to stab the ball away from the on-loan Manchester United frontman.
The visitors went close in the 18th minute when Zigic found Novak on the edge of the area from deep on the right. The ex-Huddersfield man hit a powerful low shot just wide of Dean Gerken’s right post.
Town had most of the ball in a scrappy first half hour but with Birmingham having created the game’s only openings. The Blues’ first opportunity of the afternoon came right on 30 when Berra headed just wide from Aaron Cresswell’s freekick on the left.
On 36 Taylor sent in a dangerous cross from the right which was cleared, then Cresswell played in Nouble on the left of the area but he scraped his shot through to the keeper under pressure.
But a Town goal was only two minutes away. Having been found in space on the right by Taylor, Nouble whipped over a low ball which flashed across the Birmingham six-yard box past five defenders - Aaron Martin completely missing his kick - before reaching Murphy at the far post, where the Irishman tapped home his ninth goal of the season.
Prior to the restart Zigic was shown a yellow card having continued an ongoing dialogue with the referee Keith Stroud for too long.
Town continued to push for a second in the first half’s remaining minutes, Luke Chambers seeing a cross-shot blocked having left a defender for dead, but were unable to add to their lead.
The Blues had had more of the ball than the visitors during a scruffy half but hadn’t seriously threatened until shortly before the goal, which Birmingham will feel they ought to have defended much better.
The Midlanders, who switched Paul Caddis for on-loan Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe at the break, will also believe they should have made more of their earlier opportunities.
Five minutes after the restart, Jay Tabb headed the second half’s first opportunity to Birmingham keeper Darren Randolph from a Taylor cross on the right. A minute later Nouble, Town’s biggest threat in the first half, made way for Paul Anderson having suffered a knock.
Moments later, Town the Blues having switched to 4-4-2, the dangerous Taylor forced Randolph to save well to his left with a curling 25-yard effort which otherwise would have nestled in the corner of the net.
Ibe shot straight at Gerken on 57, then a minute later Taylor curled another shot just wide of Randolph’s left post. On the hour, Jonathan Spector was booked for a foul on Murphy.
Birmingham should have got back on terms in the 63rd minute after Smith lost out to sub Chris Burke, who sent over a low cross from the right, which Novak somehow put over the bar from a couple of yards just beyond the far post.
Blues skipper Chambers curled a shot just wide after cutting in from the right in the 68th minute, Hunt taking over from Tabb, who was warmly applauded off, soon after.
Spector almost gifted Town a second goal in the 77th minute, Anderson seizing on his poor backpass. The Blues’ midfielder took the ball wide past Randolph but the keeper did well to get down to his right to save.
On 82 Cresswell nodded Green’s cross from the right into the ground and into Randolph’s arms, the ball having evaded Murphy ahead of him.
With five minutes remaining Taylor was switched for Tyrone Mings, the striker, a constant threat to the Birmingham backline, receiving a standing ovation from the Portman Road crowd. As the game moved into its final two minutes Skuse was booked for a foul on Emyr Huws.
Just prior to the fourth official holding up his board to signal four additional minutes, Murphy hit a low shot from the left through to Randolph.
Town saw out the remaining minutes comfortably to claim three points which, with previously sixth-placed Reading drawing with eight-man Yeovil, keeps them very much in the play-off hunt.
Having perhaps been fortunate to be in front at half-time with the visitors spurning a couple of decent chances, the Blues were in control after the break and man of the match Taylor in particular was unfortunate not to add to the lead.
The result sees the Blues climb to ninth, four points behind Wigan, who leapt ahead of the Royals and into the final play-off place.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Cresswell, Skuse, Green, Tabb (Hunt 68), Taylor (Mings 88), Murphy, Nouble (Anderson 52). Unused: Loach, Wordsworth, Richardson, Ebanks-Blake.
Birmingham: Randolph; Spector, Martin, Packwood, Robinson, Caddis (Ibe 46), Huws, Lee, Novak (Howard 79), Macheda (Burke 59), Zigic. Unused: Doyle, Shinnie, Adeyemi, Blackett. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 15,596 (Birmingham: 512).