ZOLA’S FRIGHT HOOK
GIANFRANCO ZOLA quit as Birmingham boss last night – admitting the players were “scared” to play.
The Italian, 50, resigned following a meeting with Blues director Panos Pavlakis immediately after this defeat.
Fans turned on the former West Ham boss after Burton’s second goal, with loud chants of, “We want Zola out” ringing round St Andrew’s.
Shock
He won just two of his 24 games in charge and leaves Blues in 20th place, three points above the drop zone with three matches left.
When he took over after Gary Rowett’s shock dismissal on December 14 they were seventh, but the players struggled to adapt to Zola’s style and have gone nine games without a win. He said: “We had a lot of chances, but you saw a lot of players who were scared to play.
“When the pressure is like that, it’s not easy to play.
“It wasn’t an easy job. I felt under pressure from the beginning because this team was in a good position.
“Sometimes they didn’t do what I wanted them to do, maybe they were not ready.
“At the moment it feels I can’t help these players if I stay.
“It’s better I leave someone else to do that.”
Backroom team Pierluigi Casiraghi, Gabriele Cioffi, Kevin Hitchcock, Andrea Caronti and Sebastiano Porcu will learn their fate shortly.
A club statement read: “Birmingham City would like to place on record their thanks to Gianfranco. The club will seek to appoint a new manager within the next few days.”
Nigel Pearson is 3-1 favourite ahead of the club’s huge derby at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Lloyd Dyer put Burton ahead nine minutes before the break and Lucas Akins hooked home from a 52nd-minute corner. CARDIFF .............. 1 NOTTM FOREST .. 0 ARON GUNNARSSON fired Forest a step closer to the drop.
The Iceland star scored an absolute beauty with 20 minutes left.
Forest sub Apostolos Vellios hit the bar late on but Mark Warburton’s side are just one place and one point above Blackburn in 22nd.
The Forest boss said: “I’m frustrated because we stood up to them but came away with nothing.
“We created good chances and we did more than enough to get a point. But if we play like that, we will be okay.”
Forest winger Mustapha Carayol came close to scoring three times.
But then came the sucker punch from Gunnarsson after the midfielder beat Jordan Smith from 25 yards.
Boss Neil Warnock said: “It was a great strike from Gunnar.
“He normally knocks the pigeon of the roof from that distance.” PRESTON ............. 1 NORWICH ............. 3 JABO IBEHRE’S third goal in as many games rescued a point for Carlisle.
Play-off rivals Stevenage took the lead shortly after half-time through a Steven Schumacher penalty after Kgose Ntlhe’s clumsy challenge in the area.
However, they had to soak up plenty of pressure and Carlisle finally made the breakthrough in the 72nd minute as Ibehre slid a shot past Jamie Jones. LEYTON ORIENT kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding relegation by beating fellow strugglers Hartlepool.
Goals from teenage duo Victor Adeboyejo and Tristan Abrahams, after Rhys Oates had opened the scoring for the visitors, leaves Orient seven points from safety with three games remaining.
Hartlepool had Liam Donnelly sent off in added time for two bookings. COLCHESTER’S play-off hopes were dealt a blow by former player Michael Rose’s late penalty for Morecambe.
United took the lead when Richard Brindley curled a free-kick over the Morecambe wall and into the top corner.
But Rose had the final say by converting his spot-kick late on after sub Alex Wynter had brought down Antony Evans.
Colchester are now two points adrift of the play-offs. MATTY KENNEDY and Jake Jervis both scored a brace as Plymouth clinched promotion in style.
On-loan Cardiff winger Kennedy got Argyle off the mark with a looping header and Jervis waltzed in their second.
Graham Carey made it 3-0 before Ryan Taylor added a fourth with an audacious back-heel. Kennedy and Jervis struck again before sub Aaron Williams scored a late consolation. JORDAN FLORES scored a last-minute penalty as Blackpool reignited their play-off hopes by beating promoted Doncaster.
In a frantic finish, Blackpool’s Mark Cullen struck a post with a spot-kick after Mathieu Baudry had been penalised for handball.
But seconds later Flores made amends from another spot-kick, with Donny’s Matty Blair sent off. DANNY HYLTON’S 26th goal of the season rescued a point for Luton in a tense draw.
The hosts went ahead after 23 minutes as George Taft headed a Mal Benning cross back to Alfie Potter, who converted his first goal for the club.
Hylton then levelled from the spot after a handball from Taft.
The result leaves the Hatters fourth, while 12th-placed Mansfield are two points adrift of the play-offs. JAMAL LOWE’S late goals helped Portsmouth clinch promotion.
Backed by more than 4,000 fans, the visitors took the lead when Kal Naismith was brought down and Gareth Evans converted the penalty.
County hauled themselves level through Jorge Grant’s exquisite half-volley.
But sub Lowe struck twice late on to kick-start Pompey’s promotion party. MATT DOLAN, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Otis Khan were on target as Yeovil ran out comfortable winners.
They took the lead when Khan set up Dolan from a free-kick and the midfielder curled an effort into the top right-hand corner of the net.
The Glovers doubled their lead before half-time as another Khan set-piece this time found Akpa Akpro to head home and Khan added a third after Francois Zoko had hit the bar.