Kevin Phillips and Garry O'Connor were on the mark as Birmingham made it three wins out of three.

Barnsley almost shocked the hosts early on when Diego Leon hit the bar with a free-kick.

But Birmingham took the lead when Phillips, making his first start for the Blues, headed his third goal in as many league games after 13 minutes.

O'Connor headed in the second just before half-time as Alex McLeish's side went to the top of the Championship.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish:
"I can't ask any more of from the players than to have collected maximum points, but I do think there is more to come and we can better.

"We knew there would be some pressure on us playing at home but the players were able to deal with that.

"It's good we have been able to keep the momentum going."

Barnsley boss Simon Davey:
"This is the first time that I have lost four games in a row and it has got to stop now.

"We have a massive game coming up against Derby and we have got to get three points, the players know that.

"Silly basic errors are costing us, we had chances but we didn't take them."

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Parnaby (Kelly 36), Martin Taylor, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson, Carsley, McFadden, Owusu-Abeyie, Phillips (McSheffrey 72), O'Connor (Bent 46).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, Mutch.

Booked: Carsley.

Goals: Phillips 13, O'Connor 45.

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell (Odejayi 46), Moore, Foster, Guedes, Howard, Teale, Devaney (Mostto 72), Leon, El Haimour, Macken.
Subs Not Used: Letheren, Atkinson, Kozluk.

Booked: Howard.

Att: 17,413

Ref: Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire).