Johnson’s late equaliser has Bruce all smiles

BIRMINGHAM manager Steve Bruce paid tribute to captain Damien Johnson after his late strike kept their Coca-Cola Championship automatic promotion hopes on track.

The Blues moved into second thanks to the Northern Ireland international’s 86th-minute strike – a superbly-taken volley from the right side of the area — cancelled out Ireland’s Paul McShane’s opener.

Bruce was under no illusions as to just how important the strike could be come the end of the season.

He said: “We needed that resilience and took a bit of a gung-ho approach and thankfully Damien popped up with a wonder strike.

“I’ve had him with me for five years and I will never spend another £50,000 like I did on him. The goal he scored was possibly the best goal he has scored in his career.”

Despite rating them as the league’s most dangerous side, the City manager believes Albion, who remain seven points adrift of the second-placed Blues, have been dealt a huge blow in their automatic promotion quest.

“We all know that they needed a result. I have said from the off-set these are the ones to beat.’’

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray insisted his side were unfortunate not to walk away with the three points having looked on course to record their first win in five matches.

Mowbray said: “Of course we are frustrated. It’s a game we put a lot of work into, we did not get our reward. It was a wonder strike that got them a point.”

WEST BROM: Kiely, McShane, Clement, Sodje, Robinson, Gera (MacDonald 55), Koren, Greening, Koumas (Carter 84), Kamara, Ellington.

BIRMINGHAM: Doyle, Kelly, Martin Taylor (Jerome 75), Jaidi, Sadler, Johnson, Muamba (Larsson 82), Clemence, Gray, Bendtner, Vine (Campbell 75).

Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).