Birmingham City were involved in a 3-3 thriller against Hull City last time out, with the point just about keeping Garry Monk's men in the top half.

Whilst the defending was surprisingly poor from Blues, Monk will have been pleased to see his side continue to be clinical in front of goal.

Che Adams was the main man on Saturday, with his hat-trick salvaging a point for the hosts and it extends his positive run of form.

And, although he didn't get on the scoresheet on Saturday, his partner Lukas Jutkiewicz has been equally impressive in front of goal.

The target man has nine for the season, with Adams now on eight, and Monk praised the work of coach James Beattie as a key reason for their improvements.

"For sure he's (Beattie) a big part of why they are doing so well - everyone contributes how it is set up," the manager told the official site.

"Of course, you would be silly not to use James' experience as a striker, technically and how you think in certain situations, it's great to have someone like James who can lend that to them."

They will hope to maintain the high standards they've set after the international break when they take on Aston Villa in the Second City derby.

The Verdict

Adams and Jutkiewicz have been outstanding in recent weeks and they really do cause defenders problems as a partnership.

Both players have had talent but they've never really been prolific, however, that seems to be changing now.

Clearly, ex-England international Beattie is a positive influence and it's nice of Monk to acknowledge the work he has done.

Thoughts, Blues fans? Let us know in the comments below.

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