MONK IS BLANKED

Swans deny their old boss

GARRY MONK was left cursing his old club as Birmingham were somehow denied their first win of the season.

The Swans might hold a special place in Monk’s heart but the point they took home to Wales last night bordered on theft.

The Blues dominated but missed a host of chances and saw a firsthalf effort chalked off for offside.

Birmingham boss Monk said: “We were clearly deserving of the win. I’m very proud of that performance, albeit without getting that crucial goal.

“When you are so dominant, you need that goal. I can’t criticise my players at all.”

Monk spent a decade at Swansea as a player and manager. You wouldn’t have known it, such was the vigour with which his side ripped into the visitors.

How Birmingham weren’t in front at half-time was a mystery to both teams and everyone inside St Andrew’s.

Monk’s side laid siege on the Swans goal yet, miraculously, the visitors kept them at bay.

By the interval Brum had put in 14 attempts on goal to one in return. Omar Bogle could have scored three times in the opening quarter.

And in the 20th minute Brum had a goal disallowed when Harlee Dean’s header was saved by Swans keeper Erwin Mulder and Lukas Jutkiewicz followed it in but was ruled offside.

Mulder was again in the thick of things when he foiled Jutkiewicz before the target man somehow fired wide.

Maikel Kieftenbeld threatened and it was a similar story after the break as the hosts threatened to break the deadlock.

Swansea remain unbeaten but they rarely threatened.

And boss Graham Potter admitted his men had pinched a point, saying: “They made it difficult for us, so I’m the happier person with the result. They could have been out of sight by the break.

“We were fortunate to come away with anything.”