Birmingham 0 Hull City 0: Tigers response pleases Dowie

Dowie called his squad together to point out their responsibilities after the 4-1 home defeat by Burnley nine days ago.

And the former Crystal Palace manager's approach did the trick as the Tigers gained a creditable goalless draw at top 10 side Birmingham Saturday – only their fifth away point of the campaign.

Dowie confirmed: "We had a meeting on Tuesday. It was a no-holds-barred, nitty gritty meeting where a few home truths were told.

"Too often you tread on egg shells. I didn't think it was a week to do that with the players. It was a week to tell them how it is.

"It wasn't a democracy, it wasn't a debate. It was me telling them what we are going to do.

"With the cosseted lives they have, they sometimes forget the impact of their actions. You lose 60, 70 jobs if you go down in an area that is deprived anyway.

"It is a working class area and they demand to see the lads put a shift in and the second half we didn't do that enough against Burnley.

"I got them all in my office. People like Nick Barmby, Andy Dawson and Ian Ashbee have been at the club since it was in the lower regions and it has come an awful long way in a short time.

"We've got people like Kevin Kilbane and Dawson who are proper lads. They care deeply about being a Premier League footballer. The good thing is we got the response we wanted at Birmingham."

Dowie added: "If we can keep this club up, it will be very important for the whole region and that is the key element for me. That is what it means.

"It is an area that can sustain a Premier League club. The infrastructure is there, the ground is good, all those things matter.

"It would be a very good achievement. We now need to respond to a very good away point with some points at home.

"They are a good bunch of lads. Whether we have the quality to stay up, we will see in the next four games. I believe we have."

Dowie admits that Hull's ability to keep further clean sheets will be pivotal to their survival chances.

He said: "Look how many clean sheets we've got away from home.

"It is very poor. I think we've got to base it on clean sheets. That is a key issue.

"I don't think we are set up to go gung-ho. Look at our record. We have conceded goals. It is two clean sheets in four games and it is important we can continue that sort of thing."

Birmingham, in contrast, are already assured of another season in the top flight despite failing to win any of their last seven matches.

But boss Alex McLeish still believes the club's achievements this season are on a par with anything he has experienced in a career which saw him enjoy major success at Rangers as a manager and Aberdeen as a player.

He said: "I still feel this is the equivalent of going for honours, what we have done this season.

"That is why I keep driving the players on, to try and get to 50 points, to get beyond 50 points, and we've still got games to do that in.

"Relatively speaking, this is as good as anything I have achieved."

McLeish has sympathy for Dowie's plight having gone down with Birmingham in his first season in charge two years ago.

He said: "It is horrible. The thing that stopped us from stopping up was the home draws.

"In the 13 home games I had that season after coming in midway through, there were eight draws, four wins and one defeat and that was against Chelsea.

"We travelled away feeling vulnerable and not believing in ourselves. It is almost like you needed the opposition to score a goal before we would start reacting.

"It is a tough place to be but Hull came out, set their stall out, have a lot of experienced players, and a draw was a fair result."

Birmingham: Hart; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell; Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey (Larsson 63); Jerome, McFadden (Phillips 60). Unused substitutes: Taylor, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.

Hull: Duke; McShane, Sonko, Mouyokolo, Dawson; Fagan, Bullard, Boateng, Cairney; Kilbane, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Altidore 75). Unused substitutes: Myhill, Barmby, Geovanni, Marney, Cooper, Olofinjana.

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Matt Duke

Recalled to the Hull City line-up after the sorry showing against Burnley last week, and the goalkeeper did not let down his side. Produced a couple of decent saves, including one from Lee Bowyer in particular.

Villain: Joe Hart

The Birmingham goalkeeper was also in inspired form and he made one very good save from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink just when it seemed the Dutchman could secure a vital away victory.

Key moment

40th minute: Andy Dawson escapes down the flank and sends over a nice cross for Vennegoor of Hesselink to head goalwards. But the Dutchman is denied by the brilliance of Hart in the Birmingham goal.

Ref watch

Mark Clattenburg: Enjoyed a relatively quiet game in which he had little to do of any note.

Verdict

This may not have been the away win that Hull so badly needed, but a point and a clean sheet will have done wonders for the battered confidence in the Tigers' camp.

Having lost so poorly against Burnley the week before, manager Iain Dowie sat his players down to discuss just what relegation would mean to the club and the people who work at the KC Stadium.

It seems to have struck the right note as every Hull player showed true grit and determination to come away from St Andrew's with a deserved point.

Quote of the day

We now need to respond to what has been a very good away point with some points at home.

– Hull manager Iain Dowie now hopes that his side can follow up this draw with a win at home against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Next game

Wednesday, April 21; Hull City v Aston Villa. Premier League.

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