Birmingham City midfielder lifts lid on dressing room feeling after Leeds United's stunning victory

Leeds United earned a stunning 5-4 victory over Birmingham City in the Championship on Sunday
Birmingham City fell to a 5-4 defeat against Leeds United on Sunday. (PA)Birmingham City fell to a 5-4 defeat against Leeds United on Sunday. (PA)
Birmingham City fell to a 5-4 defeat against Leeds United on Sunday. (PA)

Birmingham City midfielder Gary Gardner described the Blues dressing room feeling as "heartbreaking" following Leeds United's incredible 5-4 victory at St Andrew's.

The Whites played out a nine-goal thriller with Pep Clotet's side which was settled in the fifth minute of added time by a Wes Harding own goal.

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City fought back from a two-goal deficit before playing out a frantic finish in the Midlands which saw United snatch all three points in the dying seconds of the game after the Blues levelled two further times to spark wild celebrations.

Gardner described the feeling in the hosts dressing room afterwards as downbeat following the stunning game which capped off 2019 in style for both sides and unable to explain a mystifying afternoon.

"We're all gutted," Gardner admitted.

"We've come in [to the dressing room] as if we've lost a play-off final. We gave it our all. We just have to bounce back. There's enough characters in that dressing room to show that.

"We've grafted for ninety minutes and we've got nothing out of the game. It's heartbreaking, but that's football."

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Asked to sum up the game in his own words, he continued: "I don’t even know what happened there. All I do know is that the lads gave 100 per cent.

"I think we deserved something out of that game. We showed great character. The goals were a bit sloppy but we bounced back.

"We showed heart, we showed courage and the fans got behind us. We were just so unlucky in the end, it just didn’t go our way.

“For 70 minutes I thought we were the better team to be honest and it could have gone either way.

“But I think we can take a lot of positives out of the game. We scored four goals at home and showed a lot of heart, and I thought we were really on the front foot, but that’s football."