Garry Monk: Birmingham still very much in a relegation fight

Posted Wednesday, April 04, 2018 by PA

Birmingham boss Garry Monk knows his side still have work to do despite taking a big step towards Championship survival with a 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Bolton.

Lukas Jutkiewicz’s 40th-minute goal sank his old club and lifted the Blues level on points with Wanderers, five points clear of the bottom three.

Birmingham have won their last three games, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion, but Monk is not taking anything for granted.

“We knew it was a massive game against a team who were directly above us,” said Monk.

“We knew it was an opportunity to try and claw them closer to us and pull them into this relegation fight.

“What the three wins in a row have done is keep boosting the belief. However, I am very mindful we are still very much in a relegation fight.

“It is going to change week-to-week but what we want to be is a team that hunts for the guys above us rather than checking over our shoulders all the time.

“We still need more wins and more points.”

Monk was dismissive of opposite number Phil Parkinson’s claims for two second-half penalties for handball against Wes Harding and Michael Morrison.

Referee Oliver Langford turned down both appeals but showed Birmingham’s Che Adams a red card for a challenge on substitute Craig Noone.

Monk said: “They were never penalties – a penalty has to be deliberate handball. The hands were by their side.

“But it was the type of game when fans were going to appeal for everything so you needed a strong referee.”

On Adams’ red card Monk added: “I saw Che’s momentum going for the ball and it was a 50-50 ball because it wasn’t in the possession of the player.

“He had to go for it and there is nothing malicious in it. Some people said yes it was and others said it wasn’t, so I will have to look at it again.”

On the penalty shouts, Bolton boss Parkinson said: “I have only seen one of them and it is the clearest pen you are ever likely to see.

“All the rules about where your arms need to be – it ticked a lot of boxes to be a penalty put it that way.

“I have not seen the second one but the lads saw it and said it was a pen.

“I was at the Birmingham game Saturday and they got a pen which never was and tonight we didn’t get one which was.

“Games are always going to be decided on tight decisions and we came out on the wrong side of a big call.”

Despite defeat, Parkinson remains optimistic his side can avoid the drop.

“We have come a long way together as a group of players and staff,” he added.

“The fact we went into this game ahead of Birmingham, who spent £12-£15million in the summer, is a great credit to all the players in our dressing room.”