Birmingham gave their outside play-off hopes a boost with a 2-0 victory over strugglers Oxford at the Kassam Stadium for their fourth away win of the season.

A goal midway through each half inflicted a first defeat on Matt Bloomfield in his fourth game since taking charge at Oxford.

Blues took the lead in the 23rd minute through an own goal by Myles Peart-Harris, who headed Jamie Cumming's flapped clearance at a Paik Seung-ho free-kick into his own net from five yards.

Image: Birmingham City players celebrate Oxford United 's Myles Peart-Harris scoring an own goal

Marvin Ducksch made it two in the 67th minute with a clinical right-footed finish from 22 yards, after substitute Carlos Vicente's backheel, for his seventh goal of the season.

It was Spaniard Vicente's debut for Birmingham, the winger having only signed from Alaves in the week.

Despite winning League One with a record number of points, City had won only three away games in the Championship coming into this fixture, and were clearly intent on improving that mediocre form in what was their first visit to Oxford in the league this century.

United, their confidence...