A strong Birmingham line-up went down 4-1 to Crewe at Gresty Road as they suffered something of a second-half collapse.

With new signings Joe Hart, Roger Johnson and Barry Ferguson joined by the likes of James McFadden, Garry O'Connor and Cameron Jerome, Birmingham lost control of a game they had led through McFadden's 17th-minute strike.

Steven Schumacher volleyed Crewe level before the break, and second-half goals from Franck Queudrue (own goal), Joel Grant and Mathew Mitchel-King sank the Blues.