The last few years haven’t been easy for Lukas Jutkiewicz but all that frustration came pouring out in the 92nd minute at St Andrews.
28 months. That is how long Lukas Jutkiewicz has waited to score a goal. Therefore, even the most prolific centre-forward could understand his explosion of relief moments after he arched a slow-motion header over Keiren Westwood and into the Sheffield Wednesday net in the second minute of stoppage time at St Andrews.
The former Burnley and Bolton striker will rightly hog the headlines after too long out of the spotlight, but this display was the epitome of this new Birmingham team. Gary Rowett has moulded a side lacking in belief and in apparent freefall into a tight-knit, hard-working unit with genuine play-off ambitions.
Falling behind to Gary Hoopers’ opener with 15 minutes to spare, Birmingham responded in furious fashion. Clayton Donaldson (below) levelled from the penalty spot in the 81st minute before Jutkiewicz sealed a fourth win in eight Championship games in the most dramatic style.
Quite simply, everything is going right for a club that has had their fair share of misery in recent years. Even the recruitment. Che Adams, the talented young winger signed in the summer from Sheffield United, continues to dazzle in attack, while Scottish forward Greg Stewart is settling nicely following his arrival from Dundee. Is there anything Gary Rowett can’t do right now?
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