Liam Rosenior agrees with Mark Venus, that which George Hall achieved speaks well for Birmingham City

Alex Dicken discusses Birmingham City’s 1–1 draw with Hull City.

Lukas Jutkiewicz was the hero as Birmingham City battled to a 1-1 draw with Hull City last night, boosting their chances of avoiding relegation.

The 34-year-old striker scored a header at the MKM Stadium for the second time this season. This Jutkiewicz header may prove to be far more meaningful than the one he scored in the FA Cup in January.

As a result, Blues moved up a spot to 19th and currently have a one-point lead over the bottom three. It’s a small margin, but there are a number of teams presently involved in the Championship relegation battle.

Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth are only two points apart after the Owls won 1-0 on Tuesday. The Championship, huh? Here are the key takeaways from what may be a crucial road game for Blues.

The man for the relegation battle

It appears that Blues will continue wheeling Jutkiewicz out to save them from relegation until the end of time. He is the man for the relegation battle, and he has seen more than his fair share of them throughout his eight-year Blues tenure.

This could be Jutkiewicz’s final appearance in Royal Blue, and that goal could even be his last. His St Andrews career is coming to an end, but he will be remembered for keeping the Blues afloat during one of the most difficult times in the club’s history.

Jutkiewicz thanked Tom Wagner for investing in the Blues last summer, but he is also owed a debt of gratitude. Stay up this season, and Knighthead’s investment should lead to a brighter future. Jutkiewicz’ legacy will be that he played a role in it.

It won’t even itself out

We need to discuss Hull’s goal. Ozan Tufan flicked the ball into the Blues’ net with his hand.

“That was handball. “I don’t think Ozan did it on purpose,” stated Hull manager Liam Rosenior. It is difficult to agree with him on that one.

Interim Blues manager Mark Venus asked, “Is it handball?” It looks like a handball to me. I can’t see the officials’ positions, and I understand they’re having a difficult time, but I get the impression that things are stacked against us. Hopefully, everything will unfold and we will have a few breaks.”

Unfortunately, it never fully balances itself out. For the sake of balance, referee Keith Stroud may have issued Ivan Sunjic a second yellow card for a foul in the second half. That does not compensate for the granting of a goal, however.

The best of a bad situation

The Blues used their eighth different central defensive pairing last night. Emanuel Aiwu and Lee Buchanan made an effective supplementary partnership, keeping a star-studded Hull onslaught at bay for the most part. They were ably supported by full-backs Cody Drameh and Ethan Laird, who rarely moved forward and instead tucked in to protect Aiwu and Buchanan.

Dion Sanderson (suspended) and Krystian Bielik (hurt) are already ruled out of this weekend’s match against Millwall. Marc Roberts’ aerial strength is greatly needed, but there is no certainty he will be ready due to a calf ailment.

Venus is hopeful, but far from definite. He was quoted as saying: “I don’t know whether he will make it for the weekend to be perfectly honest.” If he is unable to play, the unconventional back four that the Blues used against Hull will have to make the best of a difficult position.

George Hall opened up

It was a pleasure to see George Hall open up to full pace quickly after coming on. During his spirited 30-minute cameo, he outran Hull’s defence several times.

After four hamstring injuries in ten months, Hall must have been nervous about firing up the afterburners, but he will be better for it now. The Blues are better off having him accessible.

During their two months in charge, Venus and Tony Mowbray praised Hall’s ability, and there appears to be renewed interest in him. The 19-year-old deserves some luck now.