Almost an instant impact from the sub as Marvin Ducksch slips him in, but Jay Stansfield's first touch takes him a little wide, and he flashes it into the side netting.

Kyogo Furuhashi has not taken his chance and Jay Stansfield, Birmingham's top scorer, is finally introduced.

Stansfield has been warming up ever since the second half began.

A huge let-off for Birmingham.

They struggle to deal with a Swans set-piece and it drops about six yards out for Ronald, albeit at a slight angle and he crashes a volley off the angle of post and bar.

Unlucky for the Brazilian!

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Goncalo Franco's shot is blocked and three of four Swansea players threaten to take a breather as Birmingham look to counter.

Swansea head coach Vitor Matos responds by leaping around in his technical area as if he is on a pogo stick and his players duly get back to defensive duties.

Kyogo's luck is definitely OUT.

They get it wide to Kai Wagner and the American sends over a cross, which Kyogo manages to connect with his knee, but it goes wide of the near post.

Tommy Doyle's corner is right under the crossbar and Swansea goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux needs to adjust under pressure from Kyogo Furuhashi to punch the ball away from on his line.

Nearly an unlikely way back into the game for Chris Davies' side.

Image source, Shutterstock

The hosts win a free-kick a long way out.

Ethan Galbraith eyes it up, but he is at least 25 yards out, and while his effort is up and over the wall, it is easy for James Beadle.

Kyogo Furuhashi had that big chance to bring his team level just before the interval, but watching it squirm past him sums up his last 12 months.

He did not score for Rennes and he has not scored a Championship goal for Blues.

His last league goals were for Celtic in a 4-1 win at Ross County on 11 January last year.

Back to matters in south Wales.

Swansea would leap above Birmingham with this result.

Can Blues avoid an eighth straight winless game on the road?

Leicester City

Leicester impressed in the first period against the leaders and were ahead at the break through Jordan James only to let the game slip in the second half.

Foxes boss Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:

"It was an opportunity to have a good moment and reconnect with our fans so it's a tough one (to take).

"We spoke at half time that the first half was very good but we needed to be more clinical as the game was there to be taken.

"What we cannot accept is the way we concede just a few seconds after the restart. It's difficult to understand because we have seen it before.

"We need to defend the box much better and we are too soft - it's on us."

Norwich City

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich made it three wins from their past five games to keep their survival bid on track.

Jovon Makama was again the match winner with his 13th goal of the season proving decisive.

The Canaries boss Philippe Clement has told BBC Radio Norfolk:

"I'm really proud of them (the players) because it's not just getting the three points but the way we got them.

"I asked the players to give a statement to the outside world as they were playing a side one point outside the play offs, they had won their last five games, with a lot of quality they have brought in so it's good we can compete with those sort of teams.

"There is more and more connection between players on the pitch and everyone who follows the team can see the story is growing week by week and I'm going to keep on improving things as we still have a lot to improve."

Portsmouth

"This is not an easy place to come and It was a difficult fixture for us to come and face and deal with, it was just a case of making sure we came away from here with three points.

"We looked a bit better in the second half but I still think we could do better, we’re just waiting for some of our attacking presence to come back.

"It was a great finish by Segs (Segecic) who was playing out of position but he took his chance when it came to him, it was one of his better games for us.

"I felt confident but I never felt comfortable but we completely controlled the game after we scored, I was hoping we could get the second but we weren’t able to today."

Preston North End

Preston slip to sixth in the Championship after a home defeat by Derby.

Preston head coach Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I thought we were good.

"We knew we had to work on capitalising on second balls as it gives them territory and set plays and I thought we coped with them well.

"The game was exactly as I thought - our best opportunities came on the counter but they never resulted in an end pass or a shot.

"They are up there for productivity on set plays and I thought that was going to be their biggest threat and I felt we stood up to it."

Derby County

Patrick Agyemang's late header leaves Derby five points short of the play-offs.

It's also their sixth win in 11 trips to Deepdale.

Rams boss John Eustace has been speaking to BBC Radio Derby:

"I thought we were excellent and really took the game to a good Preston team.

"We were on the front foot, changed our style a bit today and that was really pleasing - it's about the process and believing in what we are doing.

"Tactically we were good but the most important thing is how the lads fought for everything today and that's what this club is about.

Coventry City

Coventry came from behind to beat Leicester and restore their six-point lead at the top of the Championship at lunchtime.

Second-half goals from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright did the trick for the Sky Blues.

Boss Frank Lampard told BBC CWR:

"It was a tough match - they gave us some problems in the first half - they are a good team with good players and gave us issues.

"To turn around a game like that is a big thing for the group - we had to change a few things tactically and the players really responded.

"We had to tweak defensively and shift around and it was a battle and we had to find the bravery in how we played.

"Credit to the boys, they showed great spirit."

Sheffield United

Image source, Shutterstock

Sheffield United had Djibril Soumare and Japhet Tanganga sent off in the first half as they lost 1-0 at Charlton.

Boss Chris Wilder has told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"Djibril it was excessive force - he's a young boy, committed to a challenge and he's gone to win the ball and mistimed it, if you slow it down does it look a yellow or a red? Yeah.

"Japhet's is just ridiculous - a yellow at very best. He's committed to a header, gone for it, not gone to elbow the guy, eyes on the ball, mistimed it and it's a yellow - the referee couldn't wait to get his card out.

"I fancied us at 11 v 10 but it made it difficult when we went down to nine but we still had a go, the shape of the team was great and the amount of effort put in by the boys was incredible.

"Are we a reckless side? That's our first red card of the season so we're not an ill-disciplined side."

While it's half-time at Swansea, let's get a bit more reaction from Saturday's earlier games...

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Vitor Matos will be well pleased with most of what he has seen in this first half, for Swansea have been in control since their goal and might have stretched their advantage.

But Birmingham are still right in this - and could easily have been level had Patrick Roberts found a better finish there.

The Blues may be struggling on the road, but Swansea have not blown away any team during the Matos era.

It's still all to play for.

Image source, Shutterstock

For what is a match between two sides in lower mid-table, that has been very watchable.

Swansea lead through Zan Vipotnik's goal and could have had more, but those two chances at the end should offer comfort to Chris Davies that something is there for his side.