Article: Ashley James

Speaking after City's difficult home draw with fellow promotion candidates Blackpool, Scottish pair Gavin Rae and Ross McCormack were keen to stress the difficult circumstances that had surrounded the match and their preparation for it - one of just five Championship fixtures to survive the January freeze this weekend.

Gavin Rae admitted, "There's been a few boys off this week and it's been a case of patching a few boys up to get them out there. With that in mind I thought it was a good effort from everyone, without really playing well.

"We don't want to make excuses, but there's been a lot of boys struggling with injury and illness in the week. So, without making excuses, I thought the boys put in a decent effort without playing really well, we know that. We've got a point, we've got to take it, we certainly want to do better at home and get more points on the board, but today it wasn't to be and we've got to be happy with just the one.

"I thought that in the first half, we were pretty much in control without playing well. They didn't play that well either and must have got a kick up the backside at half-time and came out and played much better in the second-half. It was obviously disappointing from our point of view that we let the lead slip. It was a goal we should have cut out."

Ross McCormack added, "We've got a few players struggling to get our breath and we were always going to fade away. If we'd have been offered a point before the game then we'd probably have taken it."

Regarding unfortunate debutant Josh Magennis, strike partner Ross outlined the circumstances that led to their pairing up-top and offered his support for the now injured youngster.

"All through the week it was normal in that all five of us strikers were working on general strikers movement, there wasn't any preferred partnership," said Ross. "Yesterday we got the team and it was Jay and me starting, and then we got in this morning and got the news that Jay couldn't make it, so the gaffer made the decision to start Josh and that was it. I hadn't worked with him all week, but given the circumstances I thought that in the first-half that we did okay and created a few chances.

"I thought he did well, won a few flick-ons, was unlucky not score and I thought we linked up pretty well. Hopefully it's not as bad as it seemed and he can recover quickly and kick on from what he showed today."

Speaking with regards to the fan booing that ushered the players off the field at full-time both players responded with understanding tones.

Gavin said, "They want success as much as we do. We want to put on a show for them, and at times we don't. They get frustrated and that's understandable. That's modern day football for you, but you've got to be a bit guarded because it's not a defeat, it's a point."

Ross said, "I've been struggling with the flu, there were a few guys out there today that have been dying. The gaffer asked me to put in a good sixty minutes today and that after that he'd get me off. I put in a bit longer than that, and I was struggling.

"It's frustrating for the fans, I know that, they must think that everyone's well and fit because they're playing, but Jay couldn't even get on the bench because he's so ill and we've got guys who were on the bench and who have had to start who have got the flu. I think if we'd have been offered a point before the game with everything that's been going on then we'd have taken it."

McCormack also offered a thankful comment to those fans that chanted his name in protest to his second-half substitution, yet cautioned to the supporters not to jump to conclusions, being that they weren't in possession of a full set of facts.

He told us, "I think their point was that it was one-each and the manager's taken off a striker when we need a goal, but they didn't know that I was struggling and that I could hardly get my breath."