Evatt | Plan Nearly Paid Off

Ian Evatt press Birmingham

Boss Ian Evatt was left to rue the ‘big moment’ that got away from his team as the Whites’ plan nearly paid off at Birmingham City, writes Pete Oliver.

Evatt re-shuffled his team to try and negate City’s midfield strength and stop the League One leaders.

And despite falling behind to a third-minute wonder-goal from Japanese international Tomoki Iwata, Wanderers had a big chance to become only the second side to take a point at St Andrew’s this season before a late penalty sealed a 2-0 win for the Blues.

“We knew with the personnel available we had to stick in for 60 or so minutes, really trying to make it difficult for them, which we did,” said Evatt, who was again missing goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, defender Eoin Toal and captain George Thomason to injury.

“The disappointing thing is we concede so early, losing a duel. It's a brilliant finish but a little bit self-inflicted. But we hung in there, we stuck in and we knew with half an hour to go we could then start to be a little bit more adventurous and get some more attackers onto the pitch and maybe lose a bit of solidity and go for it.

“That happened and we had the big moment. You don't get many big moments here and we had the big moment where if John (McAtee) scores I think we're in the ascendancy with five or 10 minutes to go and it's a chance we have to take.

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John McAtee chance Birmingham

“That's the thing that's disappointing the most is that in these games we've missed out on big moments and that was another one tonight.”

Wanderers’ first defeat in six games saw them stay a couple of points outside the top six ahead of Saturday’s visit of Peterborough United.

Evatt hopes to have Toal back to face free-scoring Posh after the Northern Ireland international was forced to miss a second successive game due to concussion protocols.

Josh Dacres-Cogley therefore continued as one of Wanderers’ three central defenders – and did well against his former club – while Scott Arfield and Jay Matete earned starts in a line-up that then ended with three forwards on the pitch in McAtee, Aaron Collins and Victor Adeboyejo.

“Their two central midfield players are really good and everything they do that's good goes through them, so we tried to take that box away that they create in possession,” added Evatt.

“We needed to be solid and the plan all along was to try and keep the game tight and then be adventurous in the last half an hour and try and take something from the game. I genuinely believe if John scores we get something from the game and it would have been a brilliant result. 

“This is as tough a place as it gets in League One and it should be with the finances that have been spent here. They are a really good team. We gave them some respect but the plan was very close to coming off.

“We knew we'd get some big moments later in the game. We had it and we didn't take it and we just need to re-group now and get ready for Saturday.”

Watch the manager’s full post-match reaction Wanderers TV HERE

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