Freddie Sears scored twice and Tyrone Mings and Kevin Bru once each as the Blues beat Birmingham 4-2 at Portman Road. Mings headed in his first senior goal in the 24th minute, Sears made it 2-0 four minutes after the break, before David Davis pulled one back on 57. Sears netted his second on 64, Davis grabbed another for the visitors on 79 before Bru sealed it in injury time with his first goal for Town.
Jonny Parr and Paul Anderson came into his side with Jay Tabb and Teddy Bishop dropping to the bench.
Parr started on the left of midfield for Town for the first time, having impressed as a sub on a couple of occasions with Anderson in his usual right-sided role.
The Norwegian made a strong early run through the middle before hitting a weak right-foot shot through to keeper Darren Randolph.
On 10 Anderson crossed from the left but Jonathan Grounds just got in ahead of skipper Luke Chambers to nod away. The clearance fell to Kevin Bru who miscued his volley well wide.
Town were beginning to put the visitors under pressure, Grounds cleared another Anderson cross away from Chambers, then Sears was sent away down the right - from what looked to be an offside position - but his low cross was ahead of Murphy.
The Championship’s top scorer went looking to add to this season’s array of stunning strikes in the 16th minute, curling an effort just over the bar from distance on the right.
Murphy sent strike partner Sears away in the 22nd minute, the ex-Colchester man taking the ball into the box before hitting a shot which deflected into the side-netting.
Two minutes later, ahead of a Town corner on the right won by Sears, Cole Skuse, who had called physio Matt Byard onto the field a few minutes previously for what looked to be a back problem, made way for Jay Tabb.
As the sub took his place on the field, Tyrone Mings appeared to be waved forward for the corner in place of Parr by manager Mick McCarthy and rose highest to power Anderson’s flag-kick down and into the net to claim his first senior goal - in his 50th appearance - and a deserved lead for his side.
There was a scare for the Blues two minutes after going ahead, however, when Bialkowski failed to keep hold of a corner from the left, but Christophe Berra was on hand to clear ahead of Clayton Donaldson.
The visitors threatened again on 28 when Donaldson was sent away behind the Blues’ backline and brought the ball in from the left but Bialkowski did well to save his low shot.
The game immediately moved to the other end with Murphy similarly breaking into the area on the left but the Irishman smashed his shot into the side-netting from a tight angle with Sears unmarked and well-placed to receive a pass at the far post.
Lee Novak headed wide after a spot of head tennis in the 34th minute, then Bialkowski was off his line quickly to claim ahead of Wes Thomas with the Blues largely on top but allowing Birmingham the occasional opening. Three minutes later, Berra headed Anderson’s right-wing cross wide.
Smith looped a back header over on 43 after Tabb had returned an Anderson corner which had been half-cleared.
Town continued to look the more likely scorers of the next in the remaining minutes prior to Select Group official Lee Probert blowing his whistle for half-time.
The Blues were worth their lead via Mings’s excellent header at the break having been the better side, however, Birmingham had had their opportunities - largely as a result of Town slips - and might well have gone in on terms.
Town went close to adding to their lead soon after the break. Tabb’s corner from the left was cleared back out to him and the midfielder chipped the ball to the far post where Murphy got ahead of Berra to nod off the post, the Scot sending the rebound over.
But the Blues didn’t have to wait too long for a second goal. Chambers played a ball over the top from well inside the Town half for Sears who found himself in the clear with only a half-advanced Randolph to beat. The 25-year-old kept his composure and smashed his first home goal for the Blues past the keeper to make it 2-1.
Jonathan Spector cut out a promising Anderson cross from the right as Town went looking for a third before Mings and Stephen Gleeson were spoken to by referee Probert after the Birmingham man had reacted angrily to a poor tackle from the Blues left-back. The official opted against showing either a card.
Birmingham pulled back what had up to then seemed an unlikely goal in the 57th minute after they broke three on two against Town. Berra dispossessed Thomas on the edge of the area, but the danger was still there and Paul Caddis crossed from the right to David Davis, who flicked a header past Bialkowski.
The goalscorer picked up the game’s first yellow card for a late tackle on Bru in the 63rd minute and within a minute the Blues restored their two-goal lead.
Tabb tried to thread the ball through to Murphy but Spector got a toe in the way but could only divert it into the path of Sears, who comfortably outpaced Spector before beating Randolph to grab his second goal of the game.
In the 70th minute, after Parr had lashed a promising shot from the left not far over, Richard Chaplow was handed his Blues debut in place of Anderson.
With 11 minutes remaining Birmingham pulled back another goal. Gleeson’s cross from the right was headed to the edge of the area from where Davis, who played for Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor at Wolves, hit a low shot which squirmed under Bialkowski and into the net to make it 3-2.
With nine minutes left on the clock Birmingham broke quickly from a Town corner and were suddenly three against two again. However, Parr did well to get back to slide in and dispossess sub Lloyd Dyer.
The visitors continued to threaten and with five minutes later another sub, Demarai Gray, whipped over a cross from the right but well in front of his team-mates.
Town were having chances of their own, however, and a minute later Murphy hit a shot which Randolph saved. The ball ran to Sears to the right of the six-yard box and the one-time West Ham man took a touch before hitting a shot which deflected across the face of goal before being turned behind by a defender at the far post.
From the resultant corner, Murphy headed goalwards, Sears tried to turn it on but Randolph blocked.
Two-goal Sears was replaced by Matt Clarke soon afterwards, the striker receiving a warm ovation from the Blues support as the 18-year-old took up a central midfield position.
Town finally sealed the win in injury time when Bru dispossessed a dallying Paul Robinson after Randolph had played it out and brought it forward to the edge of the box before feeding Murphy. The Birmingham keeper saved the Town top scorer’s shot but the Mauritian was on hand to tap home the rebound, his first goal for the Blues.
Before the end sub Nikola Zigic headed off the bar and then into the net, but with the linesman’s flag having been raised, then Gleeson saw a strike deflect wide.
However, the Blues weren’t to be denied a win which really ought to have been somewhat more routine than they made it, particularly once they had gone two goals in front. A better side than Birmingham may well have made more of the opportunities Town allowed them.
Sears took both his goals with great confidence and will grab all the headlines as the Blues move back to third - ahead of Bournemouth who weren’t action this evening - as they go into Sunday’s East Anglian derby against Norwich - who are just a point behind in fifth after their 2-1 win at Blackburn - on Sunday.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Skuse (Tabb 24), Bru, Anderson (Chaplow 70), Parr, Murphy, Sears (Clarke 89). Unused: Gerken, Varney, Connolly, Bishop.
Birmingham: Randolph, Caddis, Spector, Robinson (c), Grounds, Cotterill (Gray 65), Gleeson, Davis, Novak, Donaldson (Dyer 78), Thomas (Zigic 83). Unused: Doyle, Kiernan, Reilly, Shinnie. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire). Attendance: 17,161 (Birmingham: 415).