Dion Sanderson has identified Birmingham City’s Achilles heel in relegation struggle

Dion Sanderson questioned Birmingham City’s concentration after another late goal dropped them into the Championship’s bottom three.

Leicester City were the latest team to score late against the Blues, with Stephy Mavididi scoring an 87th-minute victory at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Blues couldn’t hold on for a point when Jay Stansfield cancelled out Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opening, and they finished the day in the relegation zone owing to other results.

Mavididi became the 15th player to score in the final ten minutes of a Championship game against the Blues this season. Late goals have become a recurring trend in Blues’ recent games, with defeats to QPR, Millwall, Southampton, and Ipswich all coming in the dying minutes.

“The boys worked their socks off, and that’s what makes it more painful,” Blues skipper Sanderson said. “To defend like that throughout the entire game, even when they were ahead, we were protecting our box and putting bodies on the line, only to lose due to lack of concentration.

“It is regrettable given our current condition. I do not believe the fans deserve that at all. It is our responsibility to make it right going ahead.”

The second goal was more painful, but Leicester’s first featured more disastrous defending. Two Blues players were beaten by Emanuel Aiwu’s poor clearance inside the area, and Leicester punished them harshly – but Gary Rowett claimed Dewsbury-Hall’s celebrations should have been cut short by the offside flag.

Sanderson stated, “There just needs to be a sense of urgency to get to the ball.” There are lads who are static. After the QPR game, the gaffer and I both highlighted the importance of getting to the ball and making the initial contact.