Substitute Jordan James rescued a 2-2 draw for Tony Mowbray’s Birmingham as the battle of the new managers ended all square with Luke Williams’ Swansea at St Andrew’s.

Harry Darling put the visitors ahead before Siriki Dembele quickly equalised only for Jamal Lowe to restore the Swans’ lead after the break before Wales international James drove home in the 95th minute.

Darling also hit the bar but Blues wasted several chances as the hosts ushered in the Mowbray era after Wayne Rooney’s departure.

Swansea, in former Notts County manager Williams’ second match in charge, are unbeaten in four, while Blues are now without a win in seven including the FA Cup.

Birmingham, showing five changes from the 3-0 defeat at Leeds, pressed from the kick-off and the lively Dembele created two half-chances.

Koji Miyoshi’s low attempt sailed narrowly wide from 16 yards, then the latter’s cross hit Matt Grimes to give Scott Hogan the chance to launch a spectacular overhead kick that flew straight at Carl Rushworth.

Blues went even closer to taking the lead in the 25th minute after Bashir Humphreys was dispossessed by Jay Stansfield.

From the on-loan Fulham forward’s cross, Dembele’s shot was blocked by Rushworth then Krystian Bielik’s follow-up was diverted away by a defender.

Swansea punished Blues to take a 36th-minute lead with their first serious effort on goal.

Defender Darling stole in unmarked to power home a bullet header from Josh Tymon’s corner.

But their advantage was short-lived as Dembele equalised with a fine solo goal on 38 minutes.

The left winger sprinted away from his marker before curling a low right-footed shot beyond Rushworth and into the far bottom corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Birmingham ended the first half as they started it – on the attack. Stansfield’s fierce follow-up was deflected behind after Hogan got in front of Rushworth forcing him to drop Miyoshi’s curling attempt.

The hosts should have gone ahead within a minute of the restart.

The inspired Dembele darted clean through for a one-on-one with Rushworth who denied him, after Hogan flicked on Dion Sanderson’s pass.

Swansea almost scored again with two quick chances before regaining the lead.

Darling’s looping header from a deep free-kick crashed off the bar then goalkeeper John Ruddy blocked Lowe’s angled shot.

Lowe was not to be denied again though after getting ahead of Sanderson to poke home Tymon’s left-wing cross in the 59th minute for his sixth goal of the season.

Birmingham looked dead and buried after tailing off in the last half-hour but, out of nowhere, James produced a moment of magic when he drilled home from 25 yards after a short pass from fellow substitute Juninho Bacuna.

Sammie Szmodics celebrated his new contract by firing a second-half brace to help Blackburn to an enthralling 4-2 victory over Birmingham.

Wayne Rooney’s men had the better of the first half and Siriki Dembele clattered the woodwork but the visitors were made to pay for that profligacy.

Szmodics, who extended his Blackburn deal to 2026 on Tuesday, showed his clinical edge by lobbing John Ruddy in the 47th minute before another lofted finish five minutes later gave him his 13th of the campaign.

The game looked over when James Hill profited from a goalkeeping error to net his first Blackburn goal but Birmingham turned the game on its head.

Szmodics’ former Peterborough teammate Dembele netted a brace of his own with a classy 63rd-minute strike before a spectacular 20-yard effort gave the visitors real hope of an improbable point.

Harry Leonard’s injury-time strike made the points safe for Blackburn, who go seventh after a third win in four. Birmingham have now lost seven consecutive away games.

Birmingham weathered a fast Blackburn start and should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute when Lee Buchanan lashed over from close range.

They went closer three minutes later when Dembele tricked his way into the area on the left before unleashing an effort that rattled the crossbar.

Juninho Bacuna missed a glorious chance just before the break when he received the ball on the right but flashed a low shot beyond the far post, and Ruddy kept the scores level just before the break when he parried Callum Brittain’s curling shot behind.

Blackburn were ruthless after the break and Szmodics put them ahead in the 47th minute when he latched on to Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass before lobbing the stranded Ruddy.

He repeated the trick five minutes later, meeting Leonard’s clever pass before calmly lifting the ball over the goalkeeper from inside the area and it felt like game over in the 59th minute when Hill let fly with a speculative effort that Ruddy allowed to squirm beyond him and into the corner.

Birmingham came roaring back and superb skill from Dembele four minutes later saw him go past Brittain and fire clinically into the top corner.

It changed the complexion of the game and Leopold Wahlstedt made a smart near-post save from Bacuna before his brilliant reaction stop repelled Lukas Jutkiewicz’s point-blank header.

Dembele’s fifth of the season in the 78th minute, a stunning curling strike from the edge of the area that flew into the roof of the net, set up a grandstand finish.

But Leonard fired into the bottom-left corner in the second minute of injury time to secure the points as Ewood breathed a collective sigh of relief.