A James McFadden penalty eight minutes before half-time condemned Town to their second successive home defeat as Birmingham left Portman Road with a 1-0 victory. The spotkick had been awarded for handball by Moritz Volz.

Town lined up in the same 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation they used at Coventry a week ago, but with Iván Campo making a surprise appearance at centre-half in place of Richard Naylor and Ben Thatcher coming into the side for David Wright, who has been suffering with a hamstring injury. Owen Garvan missed out due to a stomach bug.

The game's first action of note saw Birmingham defender Stuart Parnaby pick up a yellow card for a late challenge on Ben Thatcher.

Town started the game well, while the visitors failed to replicate the blistering assault from the first whistle which won them the game between the sides at St Andrew's last month inside the first quarter hour.

On 13 a clever David Norris backheel was cut out on its way through to Kevin Lisbie inside the Birmingham area. From the corner, the ball was cleared out to Alan Quinn, who shot wide.

Chances were rare at either end, although Town were playing some good stuff at times. The Blues were forced into a change on 28 when Danny Haynes appeared to pull a hamstring when crossing from the right. After Jon Stead's shot had been blocked, the former England U19 international was replaced by Jon Walters.

Alex McLeish's men went in front on 37. A Kemy Agustien cross from the right caught Moritz Volz's arm at the far post and referee Iain Williamson pointed to the spot. James McFadden stroked the ball to Richard Wright's right and into the net. Alan Quinn was yellow-carded for taking his protests too far.

In injury time, Tommy Miller struck a low 30-yard shot which was saved by Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor.

Town were a touch unlucky to be a goal down at the break, having had much of the ball, although without creating much of note. The penalty, although unfortunate, looked clear-cut and Volz himself appeared to have few complaints. Birmingham had been a long way from the side which had so comprehensively beaten the Blues at St Andrew's.

Jon Walters shot wide soon after the start of the second half, then Stuart Parnaby did much the same at the other end.

Town switched to 4-4-2 with Stead joining Lisbie up front, prior to Liam Ridgewell picking up a yellow card for a foul on Quinn. The Irishman was immediately replaced by Darren Ambrose. From the freekick, Lisbie and Norris got in one another's way when the ball ran loose on the edge of the box.

Just after the hour, Ambrose hit a low freekick straight at Taylor, before Jerome sent a low ball across the Town six-yard box, which Thatcher cleared at the far post.

Campo curled a freekick wide, before McFadden did the same at the other end, the Scottish international soon making way for ex-Blue Marcus Bent, who received both boos and applause from his former fans.

Volz was booked on 69 for a foul on Cameron Jerome, prior to Richard Wright making the first serious save of the game from either keeper when getting across to his left to block Kemy Agustien's well struck shot.

Pablo Couñago replaced Volz for the final 16 minutes, Jon Walters somewhat surprisingly moving to right-back and Jon Stead back to left midfield.

With 11 minutes remaining and with the visitors looking the stronger of the two sides, a Town break led to Walters crossing from the right, but Ambrose's header was too close to Taylor. Tommy Miller was booked for dissent in the 88th minute by referee Williamson, who had frustrated the home crowd and players throughout.

As the game entered injury time, Town put on some pressure, but without showing too much quality in and around the penalty area, Miller seeing a shot deflect through to Taylor, then Lisbie mis-hitting a strike which was cleared from inside the six-yard box.

Town had rarely threatened after the break other than from freekicks and Birmingham were generally pretty comfortable without ever playing particularly well.

The Blues had been better in the first half of what was a fairly dull affair when Lisbie was more prominent, but even then had failed to force Taylor into a serious save.

A second home defeat in a row and the fourth of the season sees Town drop to 13th in the table and Jim Magilton's position as manager look increasingly precarious.

Town: R Wright, Volz (Couñago 74), Thatcher, Campo, McAuley, Norris, Quinn (Ambrose 57), Miller, Haynes (Walters 28), Stead, Lisbie. Unused: Supple, Balkestein. Att: 23,536.

Photo: Action Images

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