Birmingham City 0 Rotherham United 0
Rotherham United got their first point on the road since the first week in October with a goalless draw at St Andrew’s this afternoon as it is rumoured that the next manager was looking on from the stands.
The hosts started the game the better and a pass in the opening minutes from Koji Miyoshi found Jay Stansfield whose shot was an easy save for Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson. A corner for each side came to nothing before a Miyoshi cross found Dion Sanderson who saw his shot blocked by Hakeem Odoffin before Miyoshi again got the ball and shooting from a difficult angle saw his shot once again saved by Johansson. But the Millers weren’t sitting back and with twenty minutes gone Sam Nombe got the better of Sanderson and took his chance well with John Ruddy in the City goal doing well to turn it behind for a corner. Minutes later Jamie Lindsay found himself in enough space to have a shot from outside the box which was blocked by the City defence before a cross into the box saw Ruddy push the ball away with his defence coming to his aid with Nombe getting ready to pounce. At the other end a ball in from Juninho Bacuna found Siriki Dembele but his hot was not only wide but also high. The Millers were having a bit more of the ball and they went forward but Ethan Laird ended on the floor and after treatment was replaced by Cody Drameh. Nice work from Arvin Appiah saw him send Ollie Rathbone on his way with his shot hitting a defender before being saved high in the centre of the goal by Ruddy. Minutes later Seb Revan did well to get the better of his marker and sent the ball high into the box with both Nombe and Ruddy jumping for it with the Rotherham striker winning the duel and heading the ball onto the crossbar before it was cleared by the City defence. A Millers corner was sent into the box by Rathbone with Daniel Ayala rising highest to head it towards goal only to see the ball blocked as far as Lee Peltier whose shot went just past the post leaving it goalless at half-time.
No changes for either side saw the Millers have the first chance when Ollie Rathbone took advantage of a short back-pass to get the ball before John Ruddy the Rotherham captain seeing his shot being cleared off the line by Dion Sanderson. The hosts went straight up the other end with Jay Stansfield but a great tackle from Daniel Ayala stopped him in his tracks which was followed by a Ayala header finding Sam Nombe at the other end who got himself into a shooting position only to see his shot go just wide. The first change for the Millers just before the hour mark saw Arvin Appiah, who had gone down a few minutes before with an injury, replaced by Dexter Lembikisa. This was followed by two changes for Birmingham with Jordan James and Lukas Jutkiewicz coming on for Juninho Bucana and Oliver Burke. A foul on Siriki Dembele saw the first yellow of the afternoon go to Jamie Lindsay with Andy Davies equalling that up a minute later with a booking for substitute James for a foul on Rathbone. The hosts had a chance after Stansfield got a good ball from Dembele but his shot was well over the crossbar before Lee Peliter saw yellow for a foul on Dembele. Jamie Lindsay and Lee Peltier made way for Jordan Hugill and Sean Morrison. A shot from Cody Drameh from just outside the box was easily saved by Viktor Johansson before a shot from Christ Tiehi at the other end went wide. City broke with Koji Miyoshi who sent Stansfield on his way but his shot went wide before a Seb Revan cross found the head of Hugill who put the ball past the upright. A silly foul after the ball had gone on James earned Cohen Bramall a yellow card before a Rotherham free-kick was nodded down by Hugill into the path of Hakeem Odoffin who hit the ball straight at John Ruddy who did well to hold onto it and he quickly sent Dembele away who found Krystian Bielik his shot being punched to safety by Johansson the game ending goalless.
A well deserved point for the Millers this afternoon – and a much, much better performance than Tuesday night. You can’t complain about a clean sheet and a point away from home.
Attendance – 18160
Referee – Andy Davies
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