Troy Deeney takes his instructions from Birmingham manager Lee Bowyer as he comes on for his Blues debut
Goals from Scott Hogan and Jeremie Bela helped Birmingham City beat Derby County and move up to fourth in the Championship.
Hogan grabbed his third of the season from close range in the first half before Bela secured the win late on.
Derby had more possession but apart from one Tom Lawrence effort in the second half, they struggled to create chances and drop to 16th.
Troy Deeney made his Birmingham debut as a second-half substitute.
All the attention before the game was on Deeney, who had joined the club he supported as a boy, just before the end of the summer transfer window to end his 11-year association with Watford.
But he was only a sub as manager Lee Bowyer opted to continue with Lukas Jutkiewicz and Hogan up front, and it was the former Brentford and Aston Villa man who put his side ahead.
However, it came from a bad backpass by Rams left-back Lee Buchanan, which put Jutkiewicz in on goal. He was denied initially by goalkeeper Kelle Roos, but the ball was worked across to Hogan, who made no mistake from close range.
That played into the hands of Bowyer's team and a second goal on a counter-attack from Bela wrapped things up. At the other end, it was a fourth clean sheet in six games and no team has conceded fewer in the Championship than their three goals.
But it also highlighted Derby's problems in attack, despite enjoying 67% possession. Lawrence was closest when he forced a second-half save out of Matija Sarkic in the Blues goal, but only Sheffield United have scored fewer than Wayne Rooney's team, who have managed just four in their six matches.
Birmingham City manager Lee Bowyer told Sky Sports:
"It was very satisfying to get our first three points at home in front of the fans. A clean sheet, we created chances and we worked extremely hard as a group, so it was very pleasing.
"Because of the players we have in the attacking third, if we keep clean sheets, we are going to win a lot of games. All I can do is say well done to the players for that because it isn't just the defenders and the goalkeeper, it's the whole team.
"There are going to be lows, but we can enjoy tonight. And all we can do as a club is keeping trying to build and move forward and that's what we're doing."
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney told Sky Sports:
"We played some OK stuff but we didn't really create that many clear-cut chances which was frustrating, but I don't think Birmingham did enough to win the game.
"It was a mistake for the first goal and for the second, but we weren't at our best tonight. We didn't deserve to win but I still feel Birmingham didn't do enough.
"There are going to be mistakes the way we're trying to play, and I take full responsibility for that."
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsBirmingham
Formation 3-4-3
13Sarkic4Roberts12Dean3Pedersen2Colin34Sunjic6Woods11Bela7Chong10Jutkiewicz9Hogan
- 13Sarkic4RobertsBooked at 76mins12Dean3Pedersen2Colin34SunjicBooked at 57mins6Woods11Bela7Chong10JutkiewiczSubstituted forDeeneyat 68'minutes9HoganSubstituted forGardnerat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Friend15Aneke18McGree20Gardner21Sanderson27Trueman36Deeney
Derby
Formation 4-3-3
21Roos2Byrne6Jagielka33Davies26Buchanan11Morrison4Shinnie8Bird17Sibley9Baldock10Lawrence
- 21Roos2Byrne6Jagielka33Davies26Buchanan11MorrisonBooked at 76mins4ShinnieBooked at 24minsSubstituted forStrettonat 45'minutes8Bird17SibleySubstituted forWilliamsat 82'minutes9Baldock10LawrenceBooked at 76minsSubstituted forKnightat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 16Stearman31Allsop32Brown34Stretton35Watson38Knight43Williams
Referee:Gavin WardAttendance:14,912Match StatsHome TeamBirminghamAway TeamDerbyPossessionHome33%Away67%ShotsHome13Away7Shots on TargetHome4Away2CornersHome2Away2FoulsHome19Away6Live TextPost update
Match ends, Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0.
90'+6'Full Time
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0.
90'+3'Post update
Offside, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner tries a through ball, but Maxime Colin is caught offside.
90'Post update
Nathan Byrne (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'Post update
Foul by Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City).
87'Post update
Jason Knight (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
87'Post update
Foul by Ryan Woods (Birmingham City).
84'Post update
Ravel Morrison (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84'Post update
Foul by Ivan Sunjic (Birmingham City).
84'Post update
Jason Knight (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84'Post update
Foul by Gary Gardner (Birmingham City).
83'Substitution
Substitution, Derby County. Jason Knight replaces Tom Lawrence.
82'Substitution
Substitution, Derby County. Dylan Williams replaces Louie Sibley.
81'goalGoal!
Goal! Birmingham City 2, Derby County 0. Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
79'Post update
Foul by Jack Stretton (Derby County).
79'Post update
Kristian Pedersen (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
78'Post update
Nathan Byrne (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
78'Post update
Foul by Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City).
77'Post update
Jack Stretton (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
77'Post update
Foul by Tahith Chong (Birmingham City).
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Source: bbc.com