Jordan Rhodes and Sam Winnall's first goals for Sheffield Wednesday saw them boost their play-off hopes with a 3-0 victory over mid-table Birmingham City. Rhodes met Ross Wallace's early free-kick to give the hosts the lead. Birmingham then hit the woodwork three times as they searched for a leveller. Winnall's close-range, diving header from an inch-perfect Jack Hunt cross put the game beyond the Blues' reach, before Adam Reach showed good pace and composure to add a late third goal. The defeat was Gianfranco Zola's seventh in 12 games in all competitions in charge of Birmingham, who have now lost five of their past seven away games, while the in-form Owls have won five of their past six at home.

The hosts could have gone ahead as early as the second minute when Tomasz Kuszczak denied Sam Winnall from close range, before Rhodes rose to nod home Wallace's expert right-wing set-piece delivery soon afterwards. But after a disjointed start, the visitors then settled into the game and struck the woodwork twice in quick succession, firstly when Wednesday's Sam Hutchinson inadvertently diverted Craig Gardner's cross onto his own post, before Blues right-back Emilio Nsue struck the other upright with a crisp half-volley.

After the break, Birmingham midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld was fortunate to only receive a yellow card for a rash challenge on Morgan Fox, but Zola's side began to control possession and cause problems with Gardner's set-pieces. The game's decisive twist then came when Gardner's fierce strike hit the crossbar moments before Winnall - against the run of play - got in between two Birmingham defenders to head in Hunt's outstanding cross for his fourth goal of this season against the Blues, having netted three times in two games against them for Barnsley before his January move to Hillsborough. Birmingham, who were in seventh place and level on points with Wednesday when former manager Gary Rowett was surprisingly sacked on 14 December, are now 12 points below the Owls, who remain sixth. Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal told BBC Radio Sheffield: "We know that was not perfect, but there are a lot of things that I like. "Even in the first minute, we could have achieved a goal, and after that we had three or more clear chances.

"I think the score was very heavy to Birmingham, but I think with the opportunities that we created and the goals that we scored, I think we deserved to win this game." Birmingham manager Gianfranco Zola told BBC WM 95.6: "The second goal was a fantastic cross and a good piece of football. The disappointing bit for me was the beginning, the first 10 minutes. "After that I saw only one team on the pitch. We played good football and created chances. But that is not enough. We have to be stronger and more hungry.

"We controlled the midfield and controlled the game so, other than the result, I thought it was one of the best performances, after the first few minutes. "The bottom line is that we play good football but we don't score enough."