Ipswich 1-0 Birmingham: Joe Garner fires winner

Ipswich got the new Sky Bet Championship season off to the ideal start with a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at Portman Road.

The only goal of the game came from Joe Garner in the 47th minute after he smartly tucked away a shot from just outside the six-yard box.

City nearly took the lead when a throw-in from Marc Roberts was headed goalwards by Michael Morrison, who beat Tommy Smith in the air but Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski smothered the ball on the line.

The best move of the first half came in the 21st minute when Garner freed up Grant Ward in the box but his shot just sailed past the right-hand post.

Two minutes before half-time, neat build-up play between Andre Dozzell and Garner resulted in Sears being left free in the box but his shot was saved by David Stockdale in the Birmingham goal. Dozzell then fell on his ankle in the penalty area and was taken off the field on a stretcher to be replaced by Flynn Downes.

Stockdale came out to smother a shot from Sears as the second half got under way and Jordan Spence was fortunate to receive only a yellow card following a foul on Clayton Donaldson in the Ipswich area.

Garner then put Town in front two minutes into the half following a slick move down the left, with Knudsen crossing for the striker to fire home.

The managers

Mick McCarthy: "For me it was vital we won and played well. I've had lovely support but there would have been an element waiting for me and I wouldn't blame them because we were rubbish last year.

"Somebody asked me about my ambition and that is to build a team and win games. I've had lovely support from everybody at the club and the fans. They turned up and it humbles me. It was nice to repay it with a good performance and a win."

Harry Redknapp: "At 0-0 I couldn't see us getting beaten. I came in at half-time and wouldn't have taken a draw, I thought if anyone was going to win it was going to be us. Then we had a great chance to score and within ten seconds the ball was in the back of our net. That changed everything.

"We then became open because we changed how we were, we looked to push people forward, then they were more and more confident andit became more difficult. Up until then I couldn't see us conceding a goal."