Alex McLeish

Alex McLeish hailed his team's performance after seeing them battle back from a two goal deficit to pick up a point foolwing their 2-2 draw against Everton.

The Blues boss admitted his side weren't at their best in the opening stages of the game, but he was delighted with the way they responded after falling two goals behind in a matter of minutes.

"It was so typical of the team and what we've done all season," said McLeish.

"There have been a few setbacks this season but we've come back and had some tremendous results.

"I can think of coming back at Derby and losing at Burnley and then winning the next week and going on a great run and today was another one of those.

"The players just don't give up, although we had to have a little bit of a word with them about upping the tempo because we started really slowly and Everton could have blown us away in the first 25 minutes.

"Hart made a great save from Pienaar and that was the early warning for us.

"But we didn't heed it and unfortunately we went two goals down very quickly after that and Everton were strutting their stuff.

"But it was a brilliant achievement the way came back against an Everton team of that quality especially the way they've been firing.

" And fortunately for us as well the fans really stopped with us even at 2-0 which was brilliant and music to the ears."

Cameron Jerome

McLeish was also glowing in his praise for Cameron Jerome following the frontman's man-of-the match performance.

"I thought Cameron was great," said McLeish.

"I don't know if he got the final touch to the Keith Fahey cross, but he certainly affected it because it looked as if Tim Howard was put off by his presence.

"He led the line great today and it was as good as I've seen him.

"He was powerful in the air, won things and kept the ball up there for us and he and Chucho were much more dangerous after we got the goal back."

The Blues boss revealed that Blues' second goalscorer Craig Gardner had been suffering from a virus in the days leading up to the game, which was why he was substituted.

"It was a very welcome goal indeed from Craig," he said.

"

Craig Gardner

It was a great hit and I was really pleased for him and it's a great start to his Blues career.

"He had been ill and was a doubt this morning.

"There was a virus going about this week I think there were one or two clubs affected so it's obviously in the air.

"He was supposed to come in for a fitness test this morning and he phoned the doctor to say he felt okay.

"But I thought he started the game sluggishly and probably getting his second wind was the hardest part for him."