First-day draw for Warnock

 ROTHERHAM United battled hard to hand Neil Warnock a point from his first game in charge against Birmingham  City at the New York Stadium.

Watched by a crowd of more than 11,000, they gave as good as they got against the Championship play-off chasers in an entertaining goalless draw that ended with the Millers reduced to nine men after the late dismissals of Richard Wood and Joe Mattock.

Wins for Bristol  City and MK Dons have left them five points adrift of the safety line with 15 matches to play.

They edged the first half and might have capitalised on two good chances in as many minutes around the half-hour mark. Kirk Broadfoot, unmarked at the back post, planted a header across the goal face and when Matt Derbyshire was set free by Danny Ward, the striker’s shot was turned over by Tomasz Kuszczak.

Birmingham showed very little in attack, content to bide their time, but came out of their shell in the second half and it made for a better game.

Paul  Robinson drifted a header just wide and Clayton Donaldson’s shot on the turn brought a flying save from Lee Camp.

At the other end, Joe Newell was foiled by a last-ditch tackle and Ward, ten yards out, went close with a header.

Rotherham were dealt their first blow 12 minutes from time when Wood was sent off for a second bookable offence. Greg Halford, making his first appearance since September 2015, filled in his place in central defence.

Despite the setback, they were still pressing for a winner in stoppage time when Mattock also walked for a second yellow, by which time the Blues had little time to take advantage.

Millers: Camp, Richardson, Mattock, Broadfoot, Wood, Burke (Grant Ward 78), Smallwood, Green, Newell (Halford 78), Derbyshire (Clarke-Harris 64), Danny Ward

Birmingham: Kuszczak, Shotton, Grounds, Morrison, Robinson, Kieftenbeld, Gleeson, Buckley (Cotterill 84), Toral (Fabbrini 82), Maghoma (Solomon-Otabor 78), Donaldson

Referee: R. Clark

Attendance: 11,018 (2,614 visitors)