MONK PRAYS
Nervy Birmingham down to the wire again
BIRMINGHAM must face another last-day fight for Championship survival head on says manager Garry Monk.
His side are two points above the drop zone, and a point will probably be enough next Sunday when they face promotion chasing Fulham, unbeaten in 23 matches.
Monk, only in charge since March when he became Birmingham’s fifth manager in 15 months, admitted: “We know it is going to be hard if we are to get out of this situation.
“It is in our hands and we have to make sure we are at our maximum and meet it head on.
“We are not focused on other teams, just ourselves.”
Birmingham went ahead at Loftus Road yesterday, only to concede a minute later and Monk (inset) said: “We have been dealing with the pressure really, really well and that’s what surprised me about the way we played.
“I believe in these players 100 per cent. We have good players, good lads.”
Blues won at Bristol City on the last day of last season to keep their Championship status and a victory yesterday would have saved the need for any such dramas this term.
And to the delight of the travelling fans it looked on when, having absorbed lots of QPR pressure, they went ahead thanks to Che Adams’ fourth league goal of the season.
But a minute later Rangers were level. Luke Freeman crossed and when Ilias Chair fizzed a shot across goal Bright Osayi-samuel was on hand to score his first Rangers goal on his 22nd appearance.
It got worse for Monk after the break when Freeman again put in a decisive cross and this time Chair was left unmarked at the back post to score.
Jake Bidwell went close with a header and when substitute Matt Smith tucked away a third off the woodwork in added time the die was cast for Birmingham’s final day showdown with Fulham.
Rangers boss Ian Holloway fielded five players aged 21 or under as he builds for a future that won’t include longserving Jamie Mackie, James Perch or skipper Nedum Onuoha, who are all being released.
After the players completed a lap of honour following the Hoops’ final home game of the season Holloway said: “It has been an emotional day for everyone but I’m so proud.
“We let a goal in and could have wobbled, but we didn’t.”