Nice point of McGuinness

By JOHN WRAGG at St Andrew’s

MARK McGUINNESS saved rookie Cardiff boss Steve Morison from finishing up in “a right mess”.

Cardiff were looking down the barrel at a damaging defeat at halftime in the fight to stay in the Championship.

Troy Deeney and Ivan Sunjic, with his first goal for 17 months, had put Birmingham in control.

But Morison revved up his side with three second-half subs and Kieffer Moore got one back before centrehalf McGuinness, 20, saved the game with his 91st-minute header.

Third-bottom Posh’s win over Millwall would have closed the gap on the Bluebirds to two points without McGuinness’ third goal in five games from Joe Ralls’ corner.

Morison, who is in charge for the season after taking over from sacked Mick McCarthy, said: “We could have been in a right mess if we hadn’t fought back.”

And Den old-boy Morison added: “Maybe I should send a colourful text to the Millwall lads asking them what they were doing.” But

Subs not used:

Subs not used:

MAN OF THE MATCH: chances.

REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson 8.

Morison is giving Cardiff a chance of staying up with four unbeaten away games, three of them victories.

The Bluebirds stormed back from 3-0 down at Stoke in his first game to draw 3-3 and they surged back again at St Andrew’s to stun the Blues.

“You are at Stoke 3-0 down and today 2-0 down, but there weren’t happy faces in the dressing room,” added Morison. “We know that can’t be the norm. We can’t keep giving ourselves a mountain to climb.

“But the hunger, character, application, we can’t fault as we could have rolled over and let it go.

“It means 1,700 Cardiff fans have gone home happier than half an hour from the end.”

If Moore had done better with his thirdminute chance it might have changed the story and it was a quick counter-attack that gave Birmingham a 29th-minute lead when Deeney nutmegged Perry Ng and netted.

A minute into first-half injury time Deeney charged the ball free in midfield, sent Riley McGree away on the left and, with memory not failing him after so long without a goal, Sunjic powered through to score.

Deeney kept threatening a third for Blues, but Moore drove in his 66th-minute goal and then came the McGuinness late show.

Brum boss Lee Bowyer said: “I don’t think Cardiff deserved a point.”

LATE SHOW Cardiff’s McGuinness is mobbed after his leveller BIRMINGHAM CITY: Sarkic 7; Sanderson 6, Roberts 6, Friend 6, Graham 7; James 6, Sunjic 7, Pedersen 6; McGree 6; Hogan 6 (Aneke 78), Deeney 8 (Jutkiewicz 89). Etheridge, Bela, Dean, Familia-Castillo, Hall. CARDIFF CITY: Smithies 7; McGuinness 6, Flint 6, Nelson 6 (Harris 60, 6); Ng 6, Ralls 7, Pack 6 (Vaulks 64, 6), Giles 6; Colwill 7, Collins 6 (Davies 60, 6); Moore 7. Phillips, Bacuna, Brown, Denham. Troy Deeney. Such experience, both in scoring and making