Damien Johnson believes Birmingham will be stronger in the run-in because they have been mentally prepared for a relegation scrap all season.

The Northern Ireland international can see the contrast to two years ago when a more experienced squad struggled to deal with the threat of going down and lost their top-flight status.

But Johnson claims the young crop of players now at St Andrews have been under no illusions from day one as to the task facing them.

Johnson said: "The thing about us is that we were under no illusions when we came into this league that we would be in this current kind of situation.

"I really think that counts for a lot. I think we would be prepared if the battle to stay up goes right down to the wire.

"When we went down a couple of years ago, it was all a bit of a shock to find ourselves down there. We struggled to deal with what was confronting us.

"Now it is like chalk and cheese compared to then, and we have the character to deal with the situation."

Johnson insisted: "There is good spirit in the club at the moment. People might criticise our style of play but we always give our all.

"We are a well-drilled side and it is a nice little run we are on now, drawing with West Ham and Arsenal and beating Tottenham, and we want to keep it going."