McLeish Praises His Side

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish was full of praise for his side`s showing of character and determination in the 2-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur.

The injury-ravaged Blues looked a good bet to gain a point until Aaron Lennon netted a stoppage-time winner for Harry Redknapp’s side.

McLeish said: ‘It was devastating to lose so late on.

‘We all know how talented Aaron Lennon is but in truth I’ve not seen him be so quiet in a game for a long time. Stephen Carr coped with him extremely well and kept his threat at bay so it’s ironic that he popped up with the winning goal.

‘We showed our usual spirit and determination but plenty of skill at times as well and it could have been us who won the game. Playing like that we’ll be a match for anybody.

‘Garry O’Connor and Roger Johnson both had excellent chances after we’d equalised.

‘We have a lot of injuries to far too many experienced players and even though we have Academy players, they aren’t ready to make the step up to the Premier League and it’s their job to prove in the coming weeks and months that they have what it takes.’