Lincoln

Lincoln came into this with history in their sights. A week after thrashing Burnley 4-1, they hadn't won two second-tier games in a row for 66 years. In front of 10,551, Birmingham's quality, a rash of decisions the home crowd hated, and August Priske put that off for another week.

The Imps nearly scored with their first proper attack. Ben House backheeled the ball to Mikkel Ladefoged, and his low drive beat James Beadle but came back off the post.

A lucky break, then a big one

Jay Stansfield almost scored a goal of the month contender, flicking the ball over his head under pressure, spinning and firing just wide. Seconds later Birmingham were ahead. A Blues pass was accidentally diverted by Yunus Konak straight to Priske on the edge of the box, and the Dane swivelled and drilled it low into the bottom corner.

After that the game became bad-tempered and broken up. Lincoln felt Andrei Coubis was brought down in the box and got nothing. Then Ethan Laird, trying to bring down a clearance out wide, caught House full in the face with his boot. Referee Lewis Smith showed only a yellow, and Lincoln's co-head coach Tom Shaw was booked for his protests. Dom Jefferies was then booked for diving when City thought he'd been fouled in the area.

Lincoln finished the half strongly. Beadle saved a tame Jefferies effort, then somehow kept out Deji Elerewe from point-blank range.

Priske again, then Cochrane

Beadle didn't come out for the second half, with former Imps keeper Ryan Allsop replacing him. On the hour Christoph Klarer flicked on a long throw, and Priske got there fractionally before George Wickens to poke it in.

Within three minutes Ladefoged backheeled for substitute Tom Bayliss, making his 100th Lincoln appearance (as was Wickens), and he picked his spot past Allsop.

Ten minutes later it was over. Alex Cochrane was given far too much room in the middle, ran forward and planted a deflected left-footer past Wickens. Demarai Gray should have made it four when Tomoki Iwata sent him clear, but he shot wide.

"A real team"

Chris Davies had wondered whether to start Priske at all.

I was wondering whether to start him and I'm really pleased with the decision I made. It was better to get him on there and get him off when he tired than the other way round.

Chris Davies, Birmingham City boss, to BBC WM

The fight, the connection between the players - we looked like a real team out there.

Chris Davies, Birmingham City boss, to BBC WM

Chris Cohen thought Lincoln had been the bigger threat before the break, and that the goals they gave away were the story.

When we watch it back, there'll be some bits we're pleased with but when you give away the goals that we conceded, you can't expect to get anything out of a game against Birmingham City.

Chris Cohen, Lincoln City co-head coach, to BBC Radio Lincolnshire

We've got to address the emotion in the game. We've got to address (how to react) when we're winning, when we're losing, when we're drawing, when we get bad decisions.

Chris Cohen, Lincoln City co-head coach, to BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Cohen wasn't going to point the finger at his players before he and his fellow head coach Tom Shaw had seen it again.

We need to go back and look at it. First and foremost, me and Tom have to make sure that we've given the right structure, as always. We're never going to sit here and blame players.

Chris Cohen, Lincoln City co-head coach (The Stacey West)

We've got to get back to being incredibly hard to beat. We've been brilliant at that over the last couple of seasons, and we've just got to make sure that we double down on that stuff before we start looking at the prettier stuff around their goal.

Chris Cohen

The Stacey West felt the scoreline flattered Birmingham. But Birmingham were clinical when it mattered, and that's why they're near the top.