Mark Venus praised the influence of his veteran substitutes as they combined to secure a point on the road against Hull City, which Birmingham City must now build on.
Interim Blues manager Venus made four substitutions before the hour mark, before Lukas Jutkiewicz scored the game-winner in the 80th minute. Jutkiewicz scored a header from a terrific right-wing cross by fellow substitute Alex Pritchard.
The point moved Blues up to 19th on the Championship standings, providing a little breathing room between themselves and the bottom three. Sheffield Wednesday’s victory over Plymouth leaves just two points separating the teams in 23rd and 16th place.
“I think it has to be a springboard,” Venus reflected. “We’ve had some really tough games, and they’ve tested us to the limit. To come away with a point late in the season when these teams appear to be winning, we aim to build on it and move forward.
“We’re heading to another challenging venue on Saturday, so we’ll need all of our veteran players. You could see the difference Lukas and Alex made when they came on the pitch tonight. We need everyone to join us. “We have a big task ahead of us.”
Jay Stansfield, the Blues’ top scorer, was one of several surprising exclusions from the starting lineup versus Hull. The 21-year-old, who was rested with Paik Seung-ho and Koji Miyoshi, is expected to return to the Millwall squad.
Venus continued, “We have five games in 16 days, including Saturday. These guys face a lot of physical exertion, and we must support them through it. I’m glad they came in and made an effect.
“If you were at the game on Saturday, you’ll notice how hard (Stansfield) worked and how much effort he put in for the football team. Was giving him 30 minutes better than using him for 70 or 80 minutes and burning him out? That is exactly what we said and did tonight.”
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