Birmingham were knocked off the top of the championship after losing 1-0 to ten-man QPR.
Di Carmine seals win after Leigertwood sent off
Birmingham were knocked off the top of the championship after going down 1-0 to ten-man QPR at Loftus Road.
Samuel Di Carmine hit a stunning first goal in English football to secure the unlikely victory after Mikele Leigertwood's sending-off.
The young Italian, who arrived on loan from Fiorentina in the summer, crashed home a powerful 25-yard drive in the 54th minute to inflict City's first defeat on the road this season.
Chairman Flavio Briatore is rumoured to influencing team selection at Loftus Road, a thorny issue which seemed to lead to the surprise sacking of manager Iain Dowie last week.
But Di Carmine, who barely got a look-in under Dowie, has started the last two games and vindicated Briatore's supposed interference with his brilliant strike.
Rangers' win was all the more remarkable as they played the second half with 10 men following Leigertwood's sending-off.
The defender was shown a straight red card by referee Stuart Attwell - on his first Championship outing since awarding the infamous 'goal that never was' at Watford last month - for a crude tackle on Lee Carsley in first-half stoppage time.
Ruled out
Kevin Phillips did put the ball in the net deep into injury time but his effort was dramatically ruled out for offside.
Popular midfielder Gareth Ainsworth is in temporary charge of Rangers, and as well as Di Carmine he also named Briatore signings Damiano Tommasi - for his debut - and Emmanuel Ledesma.
The Birmingham team also needed some hasty reshuffling, with striker Garry O'Connor injuring himself in the warm-up and full-back Stuart Parnaby having to be stretchered off in the 10th minute.
In between time, Rangers goalkeeper Radek Cerny pulled off stunning saves to keep out fierce low drives from Cameron Jerome and Phillips.
But Rangers grew in confidence as the first half wore on, and as the break approached Maik Taylor clawed away a dangerous free-kick from captain Martin Rowlands.
Dexter Blackstock then slid in to meet a Lee Cook cross only to put it wide before Taylor blocked from Rowlands once more.
Straight red
And in stoppage time Attwell produced a straight red card for Leigertwood after a bruising studs-up challenge on Carsley.
But nine minutes into the second half the hosts took a shock lead when Di Carmine picked the ball up 25 yards out and unleashed a rocket shot which flew past Taylor into the top corner.
Ledesma forced a flying save from Taylor with a curling free-kick while for City, Jared Wilson's cross-shot missed everyone.
With snow by now falling in west London and City piling forward, Phillips slid the ball home in stoppage time but was flagged offside and Rangers clung on.
