BOWYER SALUTES GOAL ACE LUKAS
Jutkiewicz leads bid for safety
BIRMINGHAM are heading for Championship safety thanks to Lukas Jutkiewicz’s goals.
He took his tally to 50 league goals for the Blues with these two that give them a chance of beating the drop.
Jutkiewicz was hardly used by sacked boss Aitor Karanka, despite his 15 goals the previous season, and Birmingham struggled.
“He didn’t become a bad player. He has always been a good player, you just have to use him the right way,” says new boss Lee Bowyer of the transformation.
“Jutkiewicz is always going to score goals in this division if you give him the right service and opportunity.”
However, Bowyer warned: “We are not safe yet, but we have given ourselves a chance – that’s all we can ask for.
“If we keep putting performances in like that, and keep picking up points, then we should be OK.”
Blues’ situation looked pretty hopeless when Karanka was sacked in the middle of March, but Bowyer is leading yet another Birmingham great escape.
They are now nine points clear of third-from-bottom Rotherham, with a crucial week coming up for the Yorkshire club.
Following yesterday’s draw with Huddersfield, Rotherham are at home to QPR on Tuesday, Coventry on Thursday and Birmingham on Sunday.
Bowyer will be at the Coventry game to see what that tough schedule of catch-up games has done to Rotherham’s chances.
“I will go and watch that live,” said the Blues manager. “That will be half of Rotherham’s games in hand used up before we play them.
“We will have more of an idea of what’s what.”
A big part of Birmingham’s fight for safety is Jutkiewicz and he has so far bagged three goals in five games under Bowyer.
Bowyer has taken 10 points out of his first 15 and the Juke will be happy to take advantage of any tired Rotherham legs.
Jutkiewicz, 32, has been at Birmingham since a £1.5m move from Burnley five years ago and has been involved in several relegation fights.
But he saw off disappointing Stoke with his two goals.
“We didn’t defend the cross either for the first goal and for the second our keeper Adam Davies spilled the shot and that was the game done,” admitted Stoke boss Michael O’Neill.
Jutkiewicz met Marc Roberts’ excellent cross at the far post three minutes before half-time and headed powerfully in for the first.
He was back on the scoresheet again in the 53rd minute.
Sub Sam Cosgrove’s 25-yarder wasn’t collected by Davies and the ball rebounded off him for Jutkiewicz to score.
He might have had a third when Stoke failed to clear, but he couldn’t get a clear crack at the ball as Birmingham won three successive home games for the first time in 18 months.
Sunday’s outing in Yorkshire will be the 500th game of Jutkiewicz’s career.
It could be momentous for him and Birmingham.