MATCH REPORT: Ward's late strike ends Millers' losing run

Danny Ward fired in four minutes from time to cancel out Kerim Frei’s opener for the Blues and hand Paul Warne his first point since becoming permanent manager.

The 1-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of a poor quality game at the New York Stadium between two struggling sides.

Richard O’Donnell was back in the Rotherham line-up for Lewis Price, missing with tonsilitis, and the stopper had little to deal with in a dire first half.

There was plenty of huffing and puffing but little in the way of constructive football. O’Donnell was required to turn Craig Gardner’s raking free-kick around a post while Carlton Morris had a couple of glimpses of goal at the other end but the half-time whistle came as a relief.

Warne freshened things up in the second half, introducing Tom Adeyemi and then Jerry Yates and they got on top for a spell. Will Vaulks’ cross-shot caused problems and Morris was foiled by a good intervention in front of an open goal.

The increasing optimism around the stadium was popped on 73 minutes with a rare moment of quality, substitut Frei steering a delicious free-kick beyond the despairing dive of O’Donnell.

A 33rd defeat of the season looked on the cards but the Millers dug in and got their reward when Ward turned and fired into the bottom corner. They might even have won it in stoppage time only for Yates to spoon over an open goal but at least the points drought is over for the Championship’s bottom club.

Millers: O'Donnell; Fisher (Yates 61), Ajayi, Wood, Mattock; Taylor, Smallwood, Vaulks, Newell (Adeyemi 46); Morris (Clarke-Harris 77), Ward

Birmingham: Kuszczak, Nsue, Bielik, Shotton, Robinson (Frei 55), Grounds, Tesche, Gardner (Kieftenbeld 80), Davis, Adams, Jutkiewicz

Referee James Linington (Isle of Wight)

Attendance: 10,160 (2,576 visitors)