Championship leaders Coventry City’s recent dip in form showed no sign of easing as Marvin Ducksch struck twice to inspire Birmingham City to a dramatic Midlands derby victory.
On-loan Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas also opened his Birmingham account as Blues brought a seven-match winless run to an end, easing the pressure on head coach Chris Davies.
Coventry twice fought back through Josh Eccles and Ellis Simms in a breathless contest, but still fell to a defeat that underlined their growing inconsistency.
Frank Lampard’s side remain top of the table but have now managed just two wins from their last eight league outings.
Birmingham, by contrast, combined sharp attacking play with Coventry’s defensive lapses to claim a morale-boosting success on a bitterly cold night.
Birmingham made the perfect start when debutant Kai Wagner, signed from MLS side Philadelphia Union just 24 hours earlier, delivered a pinpoint cross from the left for Ducksch to volley home after six minutes.
The lead lasted barely two minutes.
Eccles curled a fine right-footed equaliser beyond James Beadle and marked the goal by holding up Jamie Allen’s shirt in support of his team-mate, absent due to a family bereavement.
Coventry missed a chance to go ahead when Liam Kitching headed straight at Beadle from a free-kick, and they were punished as Patrick Roberts slipped Koumas through to round Carl Rushworth and make it 2-1.
Three goals had arrived inside 17 frantic minutes.
Further chances followed before the interval, with Ephron Mason-Clark heading wide for Coventry and Ducksch firing off target at the other end.
The visitors drew level again on the hour when Ellis Simms was given space on the edge of the area and rifled in his 10th goal of the season. But Birmingham’s response was swift.
Three minutes later, Roberts teed up Ducksch, who struck decisively for his second of the night.
Coventry’s frustration grew late on.
Appeals for a penalty went unanswered following a tussle between Tomoki Iwata and Mason-Clark, before defender Bobby Thomas was sent off deep into stoppage time for lashing out at Phil Neumann.
The defeat was particularly bitter for Lampard, marking his first loss to Birmingham in 20 meetings as a player and manager, and a second reverse in three games for the Sky Blues.
Afterwards, Birmingham boss Chris Davies praised his side’s resolve.
“Nobody gave us a chance and I thought the boys were fantastic,” he said.
“They showed quality, fight and real togetherness.”
For Coventry, the wobble at the top continues and the pressure to steady themselves is growing.
Coventry boss Frank Lampard told BBC Radio CWR:
"The game, we should deal with. I always credit opposition and when Ipswich came to our place, they were at it, we were off it and they won the game.
"But this was on us because the game was there for us. The run of results they [Blues] have had, I think you could see that it was there for us to take control.
"We had a lot of the ball, but we had a lack of urgency in how we moved it, so we have to take that one. The goals we conceded were poor goals."
On Bobby Thomas' red card: "I haven't seen it, but if he's done something and gets a red card, then we miss him for three games. And if he did do something, he shouldn't have done it."
