THE Football Association today launched an investigation into the crowd trouble which marred Birmingham City's 2-0 success in an explosive return Second City derby at Villa Park last night.

Spokesman Adrian Bevington said the FA were "taking seriously" the events at Villa Park with an ill-tempered affair boiling over in the second half.

Fans came onto the pitch, with one spectator confronting City midfielder Robbie Savage, while Villa followers tried to attack Blues supporters situated in the Doug Ellis Stand after the second goal from Geoff Horsfield secured victory.

Bevington said: "We are already in the process of communicating with Aston Villa following events at last night's match.

"Obviously we are taking what happened very seriously. Our crowd safety advisor will be talking to the police and both clubs to ascertain further details.

Villa finished the game with nine men after leading scorer Dion Dublin -- for a head-butt on Blues' Robbie Savage -- and Joey Gudjonsson were sent off either side of second-half goals from Stan Lazaridis and Geoff Horsfield.

But of greater concern were the ugly scenes which followed on from the first meeting at St Andrews in September when City were fined £25,000 and warned to their future conduct by the FA.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce confirmed that he was struck by a coin on the head even before the kick-off.

Fans also spilled onto the pitch in the second-half with one supporter confronting the combative Savage in an aggressive and menacing manner.

Then after the second goal dozens of Villa followers tried to get to grips with the Blues' fans seated in the Doug Ellis stand and had to be restrained by police and stewards.

Villa fell apart once the normally ice-cool Dublin had been sent off.

Bruce was adamant that there had been no racist remarks made by Savage, but he was more unhappy with the tackle by Gudjonsson on Matthew Upson which earned the on-loan Real Betis player a second yellow card in the game.

He said: "It was a horrific tackle and things like that break people's legs. No-one can condone challenges like that."

The normally talkative Villa manager Graham Taylor confined his thoughts to the home dressing room.

He would only say: "I would normally come in and do my best to answer your questions but not on this occasion. All the talking I've got to do is going to be in the dressing room."