Birmingham withstood a rousing second-half fightback by Norwich to record a statement win and boost their Championship play-off hopes.

Norwich were the form team, having won five of their past six league games under boss Philippe Clement to climb well clear of the drop zone.

But Birmingham turned on the style in the first half at Carrow Road to race into a two-goal lead after 14 minutes through Carlos Vicente and Marvin Ducksch.

Chris Davies' side then had to dig deep in the second half and Kenny McLean pulled a goal back for resurgent Norwich, as the Blues hung on to extend their unbeaten run to eight league games.

The Blues have moved four places up the table to seventh, although they still remain two points outside the play-offs.

Birmingham took the lead after five minutes when Bright Osayi-Samuel fed Vicente, and the Spanish winger, signed last month from Deportivo Alaves, raced down the right and finished at the near post.

The Blues were buzzing and August Priske chested the ball down and unleashed an overhead kick, which was saved by Vladan Kovacevic.

Priske then found Ducksch with a first-time pass and the German rolled it past Kovacevic on 14 minutes for his ninth of the season.

Jonathan Panzo fluffed a chance to make it 3-0 when he turned Demarai Gray's cross wide of the near post.

Norwich were transformed in the second half and Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle saved from Mohamed Toure and Kellen Fisher, before Toure hit the outside of the post.

The Canaries deservedly pulled one back on 67 minutes when McLean fired into the top corner from Toure's ball.

Beadle repeatedly saved Birmingham, and he twice denied Anis Ben Slimane and Mathias Kvistgaarden in a frantic finale.

Norwich boss Philippe Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk:

"There were different parts to the game. In the first 20 minutes, were by far not good enough and not what we have been doing in the last few months, not on the front foot, not enough tempo on the ball, not finding the solutions and defensively giving away too much space.

"In the second half we changed it and we started to play better. At half-time, we could talk about the things which were totally not good, to go into details with the ball and without the ball.

"The second half was maybe the best half under me, I think. The passion, the quality on the ball, the chances, and a good goal. We were really unlucky not to have the points. We had 62 per cent ball possession, we had more chances than Birmingham, but they go home with the points and we lost the points in the first 20 minutes."

Birmingham boss Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:

"You could say that's one of our biggest wins of the season. It feels big and I've just been told it's 2002 since the Blues last won here, which is incredible.

"I'm very pleased for the supporters that have travelled here and taken that home with them. I said to the players, it's game by game, step by step, but that feels like a big step today.

"Norwich are in great form, they're at home, their tails are up. I thought in the first half we were exceptional. We could have been, and should have been, out of sight because of the way we played.

"In the second half, we had to weather a bit of a storm and show the other side of football, the grit, the determination to keep the ball out of the net, and we did that as well."