CITY hero Shay Given has urged his team-mates not to end the season with regrets over the points that got away.

The Blues keeper almost single-handedly earned his side a point at Birmingham on Sunday, in what was their fourth stalemate on the bounce.

But now the bargain £6m buy has called time on the Blues dropping points in games which they need to win if they are to present a serious challenge at the top of the table.

City threw away a two-goal lead against Fulham last week, and then struggled against cock-a-hoop Birmingham, where they were fortunate to escape with a point.

And the Irish goalkeeper insists that the Blues now have to step up their game to ensure that at the end of the season they are not struck down by an attack of the if-onlys.

"At the end of the season we don't want to be looking back at games like this, saying if we had only got two more points we would have been wherever," said Given, hesitating to mention the target of a top four finish.

"We are delighted we didn't lose, and gained a point at Birmingham, but we have to be looking to win games like that.

"We have played three of the last four away from home and got draws, and people say you will do OK if you draw your away games and win all of your home games.

"But we drew at home to Fulham as well, and we are disappointed we haven't turned a couple of them into wins.

Disappointed

"Hopefully, we can get back to winning ways at home to Burnley next week. One or two of the big teams have dropped points and lost a lot more than us - we have only lost once this season.

Given view

"But we do need to turn one or two more of these draws into victories.

"Before the game we went to win it, and so we were disappointed not to have done that.

"But you have to give Birmingham some credit. They won last week, their tails were up and they gave us a tough game.

"We have to be doing better ourselves. We have to be looking at going to places like Birmingham and winning, so it's disappointing we didn't."

One plus from the St Andrews draw was that it gave Given, and his under-fire defence, their first clean sheet since the 1-0 win at Portsmouth in August.

Whilst Given was the main reason for that, his capable hands rescuing situations which were sometimes created by sloppy defending, he stresses the psychological bonus of a shut-out.

"It's important, not just for myself and the defenders, but for the team as a unit," he said.

"It had been eight games since we kept a clean sheet, and it's nice to get back to that.

"We have always said that if we keep a clean sheet we have the players with the ability at the other end to score.

"It didn't work at Birmingham, but if you can build from the back, keep it nice and tight, you always have a chance.

"We go onto the pitch expecting to win every time, which is a good thing. But it just didn't click at Birmingham, and we were disappointed with the way we played going forward."

Saturday's visitors Burnley have the worst away record in the Premier League, having lost all five, scoring twice and conceding 17.

But Given has warned his teammates that a side which counts United, Sunderland and Everton among its Turf Moor scalps can change that around at any time.

"We can't take Burnley lightly," he said.

"I know it's an old cliché but there are no easy games in the Premier League."

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