Kevin Phillips continued prolific goalscoring form as Birmingham beat Ipswich 2-1 in the Championship.
Veteran striker sets up Wolves clash with St Andrews win
Kevin Phillips continued his prolific goalscoring form as Birmingham beat Ipswich 2-1 in the Championship on Tuesday.
Phillips has now scored four goals in three games as his side enjoyed the ideal preparation for Saturday's top-of-the-table Midlands derby against leaders Wolves.
Manager Alex McLeish's starting XI boasted an entire team with a wealth of Premier League experience and it paid off as the Blues took the lead in the ninth minute through captain Liam Ridgewell.
The former Aston Villa defender was on hand to slam home a close-range effort high into the roof of the net.
And just five minutes later they doubled their advantage when the prolific Phillips rose to head Sebastian Larsson's fantastic right-wing cross beyond helpless Tractor Boys keeper Richard Wright to double Blues' advantage and bag his fourth goal in three games.
Ipswich defender Alex Bruce set up a nervous finale for the home side when he headed home Darren Ambrose's 85th-minute corner to reduce the deficit to 2-1 but Blues held on to clinch all three points and maintain the pressure on Wolves.
Electric
The home side started with an electric energy and former Everton midfielder Lee Carsley registered their attacking intent early as his 20-yard effort fizzed over the crossbar before two goals in six minutes from Ridgewell and then Phillips put the home side in control.
The visitors had no answer to Blues' early dominance and goalkeeper Maik Taylor's composed take following Jon Stead's teasing cross was the most work the Birmingham goalkeeper had to do in the first half.
It was not all good news for McLeish as Carsley was forced to withdraw through injury to be replaced by Mehdi Nafti midway through the first half and Ipswich striker Pablo Counago should have troubled Taylor but skewed his shot wide minutes later.
Both teams came into the game on the back of encouraging wins over the weekend with a Phillips double inspiring Birmingham to claw themselves back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 at Swansea while Ipswich beat Derby 2-0.
Ipswich should have clawed themselves back into the game moments after the restart but unmarked defender Richard Naylor spurned a gilt-edged opportunity when he headed Owen Garvan's corner inches wide.
But the home side then came close to extending their lead through the unlikely source of defender Franck Queudrue who would have notched his second goal in three games but his ferocious effort from the edge of the area rattled the Ipswich crossbar.
Birmingham began to regain their foothold on the game and once again enjoyed the lion's share of possession - but now playing with a disciplined restraint as they played keep-ball.
The visitors did show signs of a fightback as Ambrose's incisive through-ball caught the Birmingham defence square but the ball skidded away from substitute Kevin Lisbie and harmlessly through to Taylor.
And then, five minutes from the final whistle, Tractor Boys' defender Bruce - son of former Blues boss Steve - rose above the static home defence to power home his header to set up a grandstand finish but Birmingham held their nerve to claim maximum points.
