"It was not a game for the purists. There was too much at stake," the Blues boss siad after the 1-0 defeat at At Andrew's. "What this result means is that it is going to be a hell of a fight this season. I still believe we can better and there were a few pleasing points to take from the game including the return of David Dunn. "He is a class player and if he plays regularly I am sure we will get out of our present position. "But for me the defining moment of the game was the first-half miss of Julian Gray. Villa scored through Phillips three minutes later and that was the turning point."