IPSWICH 1
BIRMINGHAM 0
IPSWICH new boy Joe Garner celebrated a dream debut with the winning goal.
Garner, a £1million recruit from Rangers, decided it five minutes into the second half.
But a knee injury for teenage midfielder Andre Dozzell in first-half injury time took the gloss off the win.
Dozzell went down after a challenge with Blues striker Che Adams.
A medical buggy drove on to the pitch as Dozzell, who helped England to win the European Under-19 Championship last month in Georgia, lay motionless.
He was stretchered off with an oxygen mask over his mouth.
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy said: “It’s a perfect day – apart from Andre’s injury.
“We’re worried that it might be a cruciate injury but we won’t know until Monday.
“He was taking the game by the throat but there’s nowt we can do about it. There was no nastiness in it.”
Birmingham boss Harry Redknapp saw his team dominate the first half without cashing in.
He kept the Blues up last season when he took charge of their last three league games and said: “This season I wanted to build a team to get us promoted.
“Nothing’s changed – I still believe we can do it – but if we don’t get people in it’s going to be impossible.
“No one can turn a team that finishes fifth bottom, winning just two games out of 25, into a promotionwinning team.”
Redknapp had emphasised his point by refusing to introduce any substitutes.
He added: “At 1-0 down you’re looking to change things, but the only forward I had on the bench is a lad we gave a free transfer to a week ago.
“His deal fell through and he’s still with us and you’re not going to get out of this league unless we have options. Everyone we’ve gone for we’ve missed out on.”
Birmingham were unlucky not Possession 55% 45% Shots On Target 2 3 Shots Off Target 5 7 Blocked Shots 5 2 Corners 8 2 Fouls Conceded 11 14 Offsides 1 2 Yellow Cards 1 1 Red Cards 0 0 to enter the break ahead. Clayton Donaldson latched on to a long ball, but saw his shot drift wide of Bartosz Bialkowski’s left-hand post.
Earlier the visitors threatened on multiple occasions, including a curler from Adams that sailed inches over and a powerful attempt from Marc Roberts which Bialkowski saved at his near post.
Town’s only significant chance came two minutes before the interval. A flowing move saw Dozzell create a chance for Freddie Sears, whose low drive was blocked, but they broke the deadlock when Grant Ward sent Jonas Knudsen clear on the left and from the Dane’s low cross the unmarked Garner netted from seven yards. He competed well against a defence that tried - and failed - to bully him. IPSWICH: BIRMINGHAM: REFEREE: