Birmingham City began the season with a hard-fought victory in the EFL Cup first round as August Priske scored the only goal at Swansea City.

Priske touched home from Carlos Vicente's ball across the face as Swansea were undone at a set-piece just before half-time.

The Swans had been the better side until Priske's precise finish, but the Blues held on in a scrappy second half to book a place in round two.

Having been let down by their away record in the Championship last season, Chris Davies' team will take encouragement from victory on the road to start the new campaign.

For Swansea, there will be frustration over the manner of Birmingham's goal – as well as the failure to make the most of the opportunities they had in a battle of two sides who finished in mid-table in the second tier last season.

Joseph Opoku, one of three Swansea debutants, might have claimed an early assist when he fed Adam Idah, only for the striker to shoot too close to goalkeeper James Beadle.

Another of Swansea's new faces, Eli Just, found time and space in the area only to shoot a yard wide of the far post, then missed a second opportunity after his smart run was not matched by a wayward finish.

Birmingham's only first-half threat came from set-pieces, and they went ahead when Alex Cochrane's lofted free-kick was not deal with and striker Priske claimed just a second goal since he joined Blues in January.

The second half was not pretty, with neither side able to find any fluency.

Swansea's best chance of an equaliser came when Zan Vipotnik – on as a second-half substitute after a pre-season quad injury – flicked on a corner and the ball dropped to Ben Cabango, but his shot was pawed away by Beadle.