Town came from behind to win for the first time since Easter Monday 2024 as goals from Ben Johnson and Kasey McAteer saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City at Portman Road and up to second in the Championship. The visitors went ahead against the run of play through Carlos Vicente on 32, but Johnson levelled in the 41st minute and McAteer netted what proved to be the winner four minutes later. The Midlanders had the better of the second half and were furious that a Dara O’Shea own goal was ruled out as the assistant referee had wrongly indicated the ball had already gone out of play.

The Blues made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 at home with Millwall just over a fortnight ago with Marcelino Nunez, who had been out and George Hirst coming back into the side.

Nunez, who has been out for a month with a hamstring injury, replaces Anis Mehmeti as the number 10 with the Albania international on the bench. Hirst came in as the number nine for Ivan Azon, who is absent from the 20-man squad.

Cedric Kipre was back on the bench having served his two-match ban, but with Leif Davis still missing as he serves the last game of his suspension.

For Birmingham, under-fire manager Chris Davies made seven changes from the team which lost 1-0 at home to Blackburn on Good Friday with Bright Osayi-Samuel, Phil Neumann, Jonathan Panzo, Jhon Solis, Vicente, Demarai Gray and August Priske coming into the team with Ethan Laird, Jack Robinson, Tomoki Iwata, Tommy Doyle, Patrick Roberts, Ibrahim Osman and Marvin Ducksch dropping to the bench.

Town began very positively, Nunez charging the ball down midway inside the Birmingham half as Panzo sought to clear before playing it to McAteer to his right, the Irish international taking a touch before hitting a shot just over.

Birmingham weren’t too far away from going in front with their first attack of the game in the fifth minute. Gray sent a deep free-kick over from the left which reached Vicente beyond the far post from where the Spaniard struck a shot across goal which Johnson diverted behind.

But it was mainly Town and on 12 McAteer fed Hirst in the area but the Scotland international’s first touch let him down and the ball ran to visiting keeper James Beadle.

Five minutes later, after good work from Hirst, Nunez played in McAteer but a defender got across to clear ahead of the former Leicester man.

Just head of the half hour, Jacob Greaves was hauled down in the box by Panzo as a corner from the left was sent over by Jack Clarke. The defender was adamant the Blues should have been awarded a penalty but referee Adam Herczeg showed no interest.

On 32, Town should have taken the lead. McAteer broke through on goal after stabbing the ball past a defender but hit his low shot too close to Beadle, who saved down to his right.

Within a minute, the Blues were made to pay as the Midlanders took the lead. One-time Town target Jay Stansfield crossed from the left and, as with the earlier Birmingham chance, Vicente was found unmarked at the back of the box from where he struck a low shot across Christian Walton and into the net.

Gray was booked for kicking the ball away to stop Town taking a free-kick in the 37th minute, before the Blues were forced into a change, Azor Matusiwa, who earlier had had his thigh taped up, making way for Mehmeti ahead of a 25-year Nunez free-kick which hit the wall, knocking over the player who had got in the way.

Mehmeti took up the number 10 role with Nunez moving back and Dan Neil taking up the deeper central midfield role.

And two minutes after coming on, the former Bristol City man was involved in Town’s equaliser. He and McAteer kept the ball alive on the byline on the right, before laying it back to Darnell Furlong, who looped a cross towards the back post where Johnson scuffed goalwards, Neumann attempting to hook away but with the ball already well behind the line, as the referee’s technology confirmed.

The Blues’ support were still celebrating Johnson’s first league goal of the season - in addition to his Carabao Cup strike at Bromley - when Town took the lead in the 45th minute.

Clarke played in Hirst on the edge of the box, the striker feeding McAteer, who was making a strong run to his right. The pass was inch-perfect for the Irishman, who this time shot low past Beadle to the keeper’s right to claim his first goal for the Blues.

The wideman, who hasn’t had the easiest of seasons since moving from the Foxes in the summer, celebrated gleefully, with the Portman Road crowd roaring in appreciation after his name was read out over the PA.

Town kept up the pressure as the game moved into six additional minutes, Hirst heading into Beadle’s arms following a corner on the right, then Mehmeti shooting low from the right of the area to the keeper.

The Blues were cheered off at the break having turned the game around having gone behind, a rare occurrence this season and one still to end in victory.

In truth, the Birmingham goal had come very much against the run of play with Town having been the better side but without creating too many clear-cut chances, aside from McAteer’s effort moments before the visitor went in front.

But the Blues’ performance had stepped up a level from an attacking perspective once Mehmeti was introduced, the sub playing a role in Johnson’s goal and with Town looking a more dangerous prospect overall.

McAteer, who has got himself in good positions all season but without taking his opportunities, kept his head up despite not taking his first chance and was clearly delighted to take his second, his first goal since netting against the Blues for Leicester in the penultimate game of last season.

Birmingham, who aside from the goal had shown little in the first half, made a chance ahead of the second, Iwata replacing Paik Seung-Ho.

Town began the second half scruffily, but on 50 Panzo allowed McAteer and the ball to get behind him on the right of the area but the earlier scorer scuffed his shot across the face and wide.

Birmingham made two more changes on 56, Panzo and Gray making way for Laird and Osman.

The visitors, who were taking the game to the Blues, threatened just after the hour, Solis cutting in from the left and hitting a low shot which Walton saved comfortably down at his near post.

Town began to get on top, the ball falling to Hirst in space on the edge of the area but Osayi-Samuel got in the way of the striker’s shot and it went behind for a corner.

Moments later, Mehmeti, who had been quieter since the break, overhit a pass to McAteer in space on the right of the area as he stumbled.

On 65, the Blues claimed a penalty after Clarke was knocked over as he cut inside on the edge of the box having been played in by Hirst as Town counter-attacked. Referee Herczeg showed no interest but replays suggested the Blues might have had a case.

Birmingham thought they’d levelled in the 70th minute when Osman took the ball round Furlong and his cross was turned into his own net by O’Shea. However, the linesman and then the referee indicated that the ball had already gone out of play, although replays suggested that was incorrect.

O’Shea blocked a Stansfield shot from just outside the area, before Town, who had continued to be poor in possession with the visitors in control, but looking a threat when breaking, made a triple change on 75.

Hirst, Nunez and Clarke made way for Chuba Akpom, who came close to joining Birmingham in the summer, Jack Taylor and Jaden Philogene.

Taylor was booked on 76 for holding up a throw-in after winning a tackle with the Blues looking to impose themselves on the game more but while still giving the ball away all too easily.

Walton made a positive run off his line to clear as the match moved into its final 10 minutes with Town still not having regained their earlier control and composure.

Birmingham made a double change on 81, Roberts and Ducksch replacing Vicente and Stansfield.

The visitors came very close to getting back on terms in the 85th minute, Osman hitting a shot from just inside the area on the left which Walton saved down to his right. Laird followed up and Greaves, outstanding at the back for the Blues, threw himself in the way of the rebound.

Town made their final change moments later, McAteer receiving a warm ovation as he left the pitch and Kipre taking over. Greaves moved to left-back and Johnson to wide right.

The Blues again felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 87th minute, Akpom chasing a ball down the middle before being manhandled to the ground having got behind his man. Again referee Herczeg showed no interest.

Town continued to toil as the game moved into four additional minutes with Birmingham assisting them in their cause with some overhit crosses.

But the Blues saw out the final minutes to secure a vital win, their first having been behind since the 3-2 win against Southampton on the way to promotion two years ago.

Town had ridden their luck in the second half, not least with the decision to disallow the own goal appearing incorrect from the video footage, although Kieran McKenna’s men will feel they had two decent penalty shouts.

The Blues had been scruffy on the ball throughout the second period, allowing Birmingham to cause them more problems than they should have.

But, unlike at Stoke and on other occasions this season and also in the Premier League campaign, Town were able to dig in and see out a result, which moves them back up to second, ahead of Millwall, who earlier in the day were beaten 2-1 at home by Norwich, and Middlesbrough, who drew 2-2 at Swansea in the evening game, on goal difference with the Blues having two games in hand on both the Lions, who are fourth, and Boro, who are third and without a win in five matches.

Town’s promotion ambitions are very much in their own hands as they go into their final seven matches of the season, the next the East Anglian derby at Norwich next Saturday.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Johnson, Matusiwa (Mehmeti 39), Neil, McAteer (Kipre 86), Nunez (Taylor 75), Clarke (Philogene 75), Hirst (Akpom 75). Unused: Palmer, Baggott, Cajuste, Walle Egeli.

Birmingham: Beadle, Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer (c), Panzo (Laird 56), Solis, Paik (Iwata 46), Vicente (Roberts 81), Stansfield (Ducksch 81), Gray (Osman 56), Priske. Unused: Allsop, Robinson, Doyle, Kanya. Referee: Adam Herczeg (Durham). Att: 29,381.

Photo: Matchday Images