Wednesday 15 April 2015 19:33, UK
Birmingham manager Gary Rowett believes Demarai Gray still has a lot of room for improvement despite the teenage winger rescuing a point for his side in the 2-2 draw against Blackburn.
Gray, 18, had scored the winner against Wolves in the previous match and again underlined his growing value to the Blues with a 78th-minute equaliser at St Andrew's.
Blackburn took an eighth-minute lead when skipper Matt Kilgallon scored his first goal since March last year only for Jonathan Grounds to haul Birmingham level after 64 minutes.
Rovers regained the lead four minutes later as Jordan Rhodes profited from a Darren Randolph mistake for his 18th goal of the season before Gray, who has been consistently been tipped as a target for Championship leaders Bournemouth, came to his side's rescue.
But if Gray thought his strike would earn him universal praise from his manager he was wrong.
Rowett said: "I think that Demi should have scored more. We have spoken to him about it. I think he needs to hit the target more when he shoots.
"He is learning to get into those areas. He has to get in positions where if anything falls for him he has to finish it.
"He needs to score those scruffier and scrappier goals on the back post.
"He is 18 and he is learning. We have got to be patient with him but I think he has had an excellent, excellent season and he has had to cope with an awful lot as well.
"He is only a year older than my eldest son. Blimey, I am not sure he would be able to go and handle that sort of pressure on the pitch."
Rowett did praise his side's second-half performance after a below-par start to the game.
He added: "It was a bit like a testimonial in the first half. We came in at half-time and I told the players they have to lift the place.
"They came out on the front foot and the second half was much better.
"We looked like we were going to be the only team to win the game after Jonathan Grounds got the equaliser.
"We then conceded another sloppy goal to make it hard for ourselves but we came back and responded again."
Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer was furious his side did not have three points to show for their efforts.
"We should have won the game, simple as that," he said.
"We weren't ruthless enough at both ends of the pitch.
"We should have been out of sight and the game should have been won.
"You can't expect me to come in here and be happy.
"I can't tell (the players) 'well done' for drawing a game they should be winning."
The result means Rovers have put together an eight-game unbeaten run on their travels for the first time in 20 years, but that was of no consolation to Bowyer.
He added: "I would rather be winning a game of football and not be bothered about what has gone on in the last 20 years."
