Birmingham City 3-0 Ipswich Town

Will Buckley's last goal was for Brighton against Bolton in March 2014

Will Buckley's home debut goal for Birmingham City set his side on their way to victory over fellow Championship play-off hopefuls Ipswich.

Buckley, on loan from Sunderland, followed up Clayton Donaldson's effort to put Blues ahead from close range.

Ipswich went down to 10 men just before the break as Jonathan Douglas saw red for a dangerous tackle on Buckley.

Jon Toral then spectacularly volleyed home, before Maikel Kieftenbeld made it three from the edge of the box.

The deserved victory lifted Gary Rowett's Birmingham above Mick McCarthy's Ipswich into seventh, following a game between two sides whose respective managers signed new contracts last week.

The visitors, who lost for the first time in eight away league games, had the first sight oft goal, but Daryl Murphy could only head a left-wing cross over the bar.

After Buckley, playing his second game for Blues, tapped in from a yard out, home keeper Tomasz Kuszczak denied Ryan Fraser and Freddie Sears in quick succession.

But following Douglas' red card - the first for any Ipswich player in the league this season - the home side always looked the more likely to win and Toral, on loan from Arsenal, dispatched a fine volley after Donaldson flick on Kuszczak's clearance.

Fraser twice came close to getting a goal back for Town, but fired off target, before Kieftenbeld found the net following a strong run by Buckley as Blues beat Ipswich for the first time in nine matches.

Birmingham manager Gary Rowett:

"You have got to enjoy it when you are in a good run of form. To take seven points from the last three games and to concede only one goal is fantastic.

"It was a difficult game. One or two decisions can change a game and fortunately they went for us.

"We had a little bit of fortune with the sending-off. It made us a little nervous early in the second half and when it looked as if Ipswich had their tails up, Jon Toral comes up with a fantastic goal.

"Will Buckley has something to prove as things have not worked out for him at Sunderland. He is the type of player I like because you can sense an extra motivation to come and kick-start his career."

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy:

"I thought Birmingham played well and the game was fairly even until the sending-off, which changed the game.

"I didn't think it was a sending-off. The tackle looked worse than it was.

"I thought at half-time we could change it around but we were outdone by two bombshells which were fabulous strikes. The result of 3-0 looks as if we have been slapped but we haven't, even with 10 men.

"I am not leaving Birmingham thinking we were dreadful and we were not competitive. Circumstances have tarnished the result but not the performance."