Blues a picture of health after late recovery

GARRY Monk insists the outlook remains “very healthy” even after Blues blew a two-goal lead to draw with struggling Hull City.

A Che Adams brace had put Blues in the box seat at St Andrew’s on Saturday, but the Tigers came roaring back thanks to a Fraizer Campbell double and a goal from Poland international Kamil Grosicki.

Adams completed his second Blues hat-trick six minutes from time to earn a point and rescue his team from a first home defeat since early March.

“In terms of the positive out of the game, is the fact, having gone 2-0 up to 3-2 down, we managed to get that equaliser,” Monk said.

“It’s credit to the players, to make sure we didn’t lose the game and that we gained another point. The overall picture is still very healthy, that’s only one loss in the last 12 or 13 games – that’s difficult to do. There is a lot overall which we are really, really pleased with, but in these last two games, the second 45 minutes is not to the standard where we want.”

Blues’ cause wasn’t helped by an injury to influential midfielder Jota. Monk was forced to field three midfielders – Connor Mahoney, Charlie Lakin and Viv Solomon-Otabor – with just a dozen Championship games between them.

“That’s not an excuse for us; we don’t make excuses here,” Monk said. “We all know where we are and what we have got in the squad. Everyone is working hard.

“I can’t criticise any player for not working hard or having the effort. I just think the second half all they really did was up their intensity. They changed their shape, went very direct – and we didn’t match that.

“That’s very unusual for us. If you look at the whole period of the games we have had so far, we have more than matched most teams in that – if not out-competed them.

“But we got out-competed in that second half and then that allowed the quality they have in their squad to have more freedom than we would have liked. We got punished for that.

“They will be delighted with their second half and feel unfortunate they have not won the game.”