Birmingham City boss frustrated as strikers again miss out

Mar 11 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

“In the final third, we didn’t get the quality, we didn’t hold the ball up as well as we could,” said McLeish, reflecting on another goal-less night for his strikeforce.

“We need to hold it up more and they need to give us that bit more quality. As regards crossing, too many balls went into the goalkeeper’s hands, so there is that side of it as well.

“A wee bit of composure in the final third, a bit of imagination linking in a striker from midfield, I thought these ingredients weren’t really in evidence.

“I feel sorry for the two strikers. Carlos (Costly) has participated in about five games now and he could have probably had about four goals with a bit better luck.

‘‘Cameron (Jerome) has looked an excellent striker in the last two home games. I would have liked to see him getting a bit of fortune in front of goal.”

Blues had to rely on Taylor for their only goal last night and it made amends for the defender’s earlier error.

The centre-back had weakly nodded a cross into the path of Michael Mifsud for Barnsley’s apparent winner three minutes earlier.

“Martin held his hands up,” added McLeish. “He has played well in the last few games and you could see that he was distraught.

“As soon as we get the free-kick (at the opposite end) he was up and on the end of it to atone, so you look for a bit of character in a player and that was a good response from Martin.

‘‘It was a great relief. It saved him from getting strangled in the end.”