The Tykes, who had Chris Morgan sent off near the end of a bad-tempered game, looked a shade of the side who dominated their opponents last May and were never in the game.

Inside the opening ten minutes, Birmingham could have been three up as they stormed out of the starting block. Peter Ndlovu (pictured) looked sharp and Alan Miller saved well early on from the Zimbabwean’s cross-shot.

Martin Grainger’s free-kick also forced Miller into a good save, tipping the defender’s dipping shot over the bar, but the Tykes stopper couldn’t keep out Ndlovu’s shot on nine minutes. The Blues striker galloped down the left channel and fired his left-footed shot low and true, through the legs of the despairing goalkeeper.

Marcelo thought that he had made doubled the home side’s advantage after 28 minutes sliding the ball home after a game of penalty area pinball, but referee Barry Knight ruled it out for handball.

Barnsley, who won 4-0 here during last year’s play-offs, simply could not get into the game and fell further behind five minutes later. Mitch Ward was adjudged to handled in the box and Grainger stepped up to hammer the spot kick straight down the middle.

David Holdsworth made the game safe for Birmingham just after half-time, tapping into the empty net after the impressive Bryan Hughes saw his cross-shot parried by Miller.

Dave Bassett rung the changes, bringing on three substitutes and it was one of them, Matt Appleby who gave his side hope, pulling a goal back. The 28-year-old hit his first goal of the season with a first-time volley from eight yards with 19 minutes remaining.

Barnsley poured men forward, attempting to salvage something from the match, but saw their chances evaporate when Morgan was dismissed. The youngster appeared to elbow Marcelo in the back of the head, but claimed they clashed heads. Referee Knight waited until he had received treatment before showing him the red card.

Hughes wrapped up a convincing victory placed his shot neatly in the corner in the last minute as Birmingham won their third game on the spin.