Maik: Blues must learn lessons

Nov 5 2007 By Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES could have been more cautious and less excitable at the death in the 3-1 defeat at Everton, Maik Taylor admitted.

"We worked extremely hard to get back into the game," said the goalkeeper. "We took a few more chances and gambled a little bit.

"The gaffer's brought another couple of strikers on. Instead of us taking our time and seeing the game out after we got the equaliser, we were still trying to create chances and we committed people forward.

"Unfortunately we didn't clear our lines properly from the throw and Carsley smashed it past me.

"It was a bit of naivety possibly. Our tails were up, we had got back in the game and felt possibly we could go on and win it.

"Instead we should have realised what the occasion was, where we were playing. It's a difficult place to come and we were in a great position, we would have been well happy with a point.

"We were still charging forward, committing bodies and everything else.

"We gave the ball away needlessly, we didn't keep hold of it, and it kept coming back again. There are lessons to be learnt and we will move on."

Recounting Lee Carsley's strike in the third minute of stoppage time, Taylor said: "Everyone has come back in the box for the throw.

"There was only Lescott there. He had about four players around him, but he missed it.

"Liam Ridgewell got it caught under his feet, he couldn't get a good contact on it to clear and it came out nicely to Carsley.

"We tried to block the shot and some of the lads came across my line so I didn't see it until it came past everyone.

"Ninety-nine times out of a hundred it goes in the stands or hits the bodies. Unfortunately for us it was rifled in."