MONK’S HELL OF A PAYBACK BY THE DUKE

THE Duke is back on parade and trying to keep Birmingham City in the Championship.

Big Lukas Jutkiewicz, the man they call The Duke at St Andrew’s, was dropped when Steve Cotterill took over and was on the bench for 20 of his 27 games.

Cotterill was sacked, Garry Monk replaced him a month ago and recalled Jutkiewicz, being rewarded with two goals from him in the last two matches.

“Everyone wants to play,” said from the 6ft 1in striker (above). “I’m no different. You want to try to help your team-mates, be involved and try to make a difference.”.

The 87th-minute header that salvaged a point for City from a game they ought to have won easily was Jutkiewicz’s first at home this season.

Is the Duke finished? The hell he is. “Every player has times when they’re not fancied by a particular manager,” he said. “You have to get on with it.”

Blues are at Bristol City tomorrow. Their previous visit to Ashton Gate on the final day of last term saw them needing a win to stay up. It is not as desperate this time, although they are only three points from danger. The Brewers were on for an unlikely win when they nicked the lead through Lloyd Dyer after being battered. Keeper Stephen Bywater kept City at bay, but Burton are bottom and look doomed. But Bywater said: “I think there’s a twist in this yet.”