Gianfranco Zola hails character of Birmingham City players

Birmingham City manager Gianfranco Zola has admitted to being unhappy with a number of decisions made by referee Peter Bankes, but was delighted with the way his side recovered to draw 1-1 with Cardiff City.

The Blues were heading for yet another defeat in Saturday's Championship clash in South Wales after Joe Ralls converted from the spot to put Cardiff into the lead early in the second half.

Zola, who headed into the game with his future at the club in doubt, saw his side rewarded for their strong spell of late pressure when Lucas Jutkiewicz bundled in a stoppage-time leveller.

Speaking to reporters after the game, the former West Ham United and Watford chief said: "I always get surprised when a penalty like that is given - there is always a lot if holding, a lot of pushing. It happens so many times in the box, you pull each other.

"In this country normally you don't see penalties like that given. Anyway the referee made that decision, I wasn't very pleased about that. There were also a couple of other decisions I questioned. But it's OK, we showed character to come back and to get the point that we needed."

Birmingham, still with just the two wins in 18 games under Zola, are six points clear of the Championship relegation zone.