Gary O’Neil slams Coventry boss as ‘toothless’ Birmingham dangle above relegation zone

Your daily news round-up on a miserable day for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City. Gary O’Neil’s were crushed by two stoppage-time equalisers in a thrilling FA Cup defeat to Coventry City.

Meanwhile, more misery was piled on the Blues as, despite dominating the chances, they slumped to a home defeat to Watford. Birmingham are now only above the relegation zone on goal difference as 10-man Huddersfield Town drew 0-0 at Rotherham United.

Here are your BirminghamWorld headlines for Saturday, March 16.

O’Neil slams Robins

O’Neil has revealed he pulled Mark Robins following his antics when celebrating Coventry’s last-gasp winner. The Sky Blues boss ran up the touchline and screamed in front of a ball boy after Haji Wright bagged a 100th-minute blow to crush Wolves fans’ hearts.

Robins apologised “unreservedly” in his post-match interview to the youngster. O’Neil slammed his opposite number, defending the ball boy who was “upset” at the full-time whistle. 

“They are just kids doing a job and the boy is really upset,” he fumed. “It was really important for me to speak to Mark about it afterwards. They are just kids doing a job and the boy is really upset.

‘Finish better’ - Venus

Birmingham interim boss Mark Venus rued his side’s finishing as they succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat to Watford. In what was being billed as a must-win game, the Blues fluffed their lines - having 27 shots without finding the back of the net.

“I can’t protect the players for Tuesday evening but I can protect them today,” Venus said post-match. “I think they gave everything on the pitch. We talked about missing a bit of quality and I think that was evident again today. But as far as intensity, energy, desire, purpose, team spirit, that was all there today.

“We have to finish better. Let’s say it as it is. We have to finish better, we have to put the ball in the net and we have to raise our quality. We have to do better at all of those things, but all the other things were all there today.”