Blackpool caused a Championship upset thanks to a 2-0 win over third-placed Birmingham.
Ten-man Pool move as Blues fail to impress
Blackpool caused a Championship upset thanks to a 2-0 win over third-placed Birmingham.
The Blues missed the chance to go second in the only Championship game of the day as the Tangerines peeled away from 17th spot in the league.
The home side stunned the visitors who, before the game, were a massive 14 places above Blackpool, when former Birmingham striker DJ Campbell headed in the opener in the 13th minute.
Keith Southern made it two in the 37th minute when his strike hit the back of the net leaving Birmingham with a mountain to climb in the second-half.
A lacklustre Blues side tried to come back by bringing on Scottish forward James McFadden for Scott Sinclair and striker Kevin Phillips for the injured Stuart Parnaby.
However the home side's victory was marred when substitute Claus Bech Jorgensen received a straight red card for an off-the-ball challenge with Lee Bowyer.
Deserved
Blackpool deserved their first win since Tony Parkes and Steve Thompson were placed in caretaker charge in late December on the strength of their first-half superiority.
Birmingham created next to nothing throughout as their winless run in all competitions extended to four games.
The impressive onloan striker Campbell made sure he tallied two in two games having scored on his debut for the Seasiders in last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Coventry. The hitman was on the mark again for his new club with a 13th-minute header.
Clear-cut opportunities were scarce but Blackpool were mostly on the front foot and left-back Ian Harte curled a vicious free-kick narrowly wide in the 32nd minute.
Five minutes later, it was 2-0 as Southern was afforded the time and space to collect possession and strike a fierce right-foot shot from 25 yards past Maik
Taylor.
Piledriver
Blues boss Alex McLeish brought on McFadden and veteran striker Phillips in the hope his side could claw something back.
But Blackpool stayed firm and Harte again tried his luck from distance with a long-range piledriver that whistled just wide.
Sebastian Larsson narrowly missed the target with a curling free-kick but there
was little for Birmingham's lively supporters to enjoy.
A glimmer of hope came for the away side when Blackpool were reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute when Jorgensen caught Bowyer in an off-the-ball clash.
However, Birmingham still could not find a way through as the hosts held on for
a thoroughly-deserved victory.
