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MURPHY CHALLENGES BLUES

Murphy - rallying cry.

Defender David Murphy has called on Birmingham to "stand up and be counted" in the crunch Premier League relegation battle with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

But the former Hibernian player insisted Alex McLeish's side will not be scared of the challenge facing them in the battle for top-flight survival.

Blues remained in the bottom three after letting slip a two-goal lead against Liverpool last weekend and are now only two points ahead of Fulham.

City could be relegated if they lose and main rivals Bolton and Reading win - and they are without an away win in five months since the 3-2 triumph at Tottenham in McLeish's first match in charge.

Murphy explained: "We've got to win at Fulham. There are no two ways about it. We've got to go there and win.

"The away form has been letting us down. We've got to change that and we're going to have to dig deep. We're going to have to go there and stand up and be counted.

"Why do Birmingham struggle away from home? I don't know. We can't put our finger on it because we prepare the same. Everything is the same during the week.

"This weekend we are going to have to change that. Fulham have given themselves a lifeline and are on a good little run themselves.

"They've won two away games on the bounce and they will be full of confidence.

"We've got to go there and prove a point and we certainly won't be scared."

Murphy added: "This will be one of the biggest games I've played in and it is going to be up there for most of the players because there is so much at stake for everyone at the club.

"As players, we want to be playing in the Premier League so it is a massive game for everyone."

Murphy knows a clean sheet at Fulham would be timely and long overdue with Blues having failed to keep one since the 3-0 home success over Middlesbrough on Boxing Day.

He said: "We have proved we can score goals but we are really frustrated that we can't keep clean sheets.

"Since I've been here from January, we haven't kept a clean sheet which is disappointing from my point of view. It is something we work on every week in training but it is just not happening.

"It happened again against Liverpool. We went 2-0 up and looked like we were cruising in the game. They looked dead and buried.

"But they got their first goal, it gave them a lift and put us on a knife-edge really - and they pegged us back to 2-2.

"We were very disappointed and it makes this weekend's game even bigger now."

Blues skipper Damien Johnson will return after completing a three-match suspension for his dismissal against Wigan.