Earmuffs, penalty decisions and an angry boss ... the story of Birmingham City 2 Rotherham United 1

Steve Evans wasn't joking when he made the suggestion.

The Rotherham United manager was standing near the players' tunnel at St Andrew's dissecting Rotherham United's brave display at League One leaders Birmingham City.

A draw for his team had been within sight, just reward for defensive resilience, all-out effort and the ability to be a danger on the break.

But the call of the crowd had got to the ref, Evans reckoned, and a late spot-kick had undone all of the Millers' good work.

“It's not a penalty," the boss insisted after Taylor Gardner-Hickman had tumbled under the attentions of stand-in right-back Hakeem Odoffin in front of a baying kop.

“Haks has pulled out of the challenge. Their boy ran into the back of him, he's playing for it. I understand it, players try to get penalties in that situation.”

Man in the middle Farai Hallam, in his first season regularly taking charge of EFL games, pointed to the spot.

“I said in the build-up to the game, all I was requesting was an experienced, strong referee who can handle St Andrew's,” Evans said. “Birmingham are going for promotion, what they're doing is brilliant, it's a fervent atmosphere here.

“You need a referee who is going to stand strong, particularly when Birmingham are attacking the home end. That's the end where the penalty is given. There are thousands of fans there screaming ‘Penalty’. It's human nature (to be swayed).

“All referees have to come up and I'm the first person to say up-and-coming ones should be allowed these stages. Maybe they should put earmuffs on. It's your eyes that tell if there's been a foul or not.”

The Blues are unbeaten in their 17 matches and haven't lost in the league on home turf all season. But they knew they'd been in a game.

Goalkeeper Dillon Phillips helped to keep proceedings goalless, throwing out an off-balance hand like a shaft of lightning to divert Jay Stansfield's shot, but the Millers were taking proceedings to their big-spending opponents whenever they could.

They served notice of their intent when Cameron Humphreys parted the home backline with diagonal precision and Andre Green's back-post header from Joe Powell's bouncing left-flank delivery beat keeper Ryan Allsop but not Ben Davies who hooked the ball off the line.

Then they swept into the lead just before the break as Joe Powell played a short corner to Dan Gore and the young debutant, on for the injured Mallik Wilks, sent in an invitation to head home that Sam Nombe clinically accepted.

“It was a really good goal,” said Evans, whose thought process was still being dominated by the 80th-minute incident.

“I look at the video and it's the softest, softest penalty the referee could give,” he lamented. “I suppose that Haks, when their boy goes into the box, allows the referee to make a decision.”

For what it's worth, I've watched a replay more than a dozen times and still can't make up my mind.

Hallam had stood firm in the face of a deafening storm just before the hour-mark when Keshi Anderson hit the deck and you feared what might happen if there was to be another clamorous appeal before the final whistle.

By the time of the first shout, City were already level. Reece James' errant pass was picked off, Odoffin found himself under the cross rather than attacking it and Lyndon Dyke's nod-down allowed the third tier's most expensive player, Stansfield, to pay off another slice of his £15-million transfer fee.

The Blues attacked in waves, the Millers defended in numbers, shutting down space, heading and blocking, heading and blocking and then heading and blocking some more.

Then the mob bellowed and the official's arm moved.

“We were comfortable,” Evans said. “You know that you're going to have to stand up and take a little bit of pressure. We think that a lot of that has eased and gone when the referee gives the decision he gives.

“Against 80 per cent of the division, today's display would have brought us a comfortable win. I'm proud of the performance.”

Saturday's result left the Millers in 15th place, five points outside the top 10.

The manager was late coming out to face the media. We'd already guessed the reason.

“I've been in and seen the referee," Evans said. "He said he saw contact. There were lots of little things about his performance that made us disappointed.”

By the time he emerged, the manager was sober and reflective, but he does have a bit of history with refs.

One wondered whether the atmosphere in the officials' room had become as fervent as the earlier one on the kop.

Maybe Surrey's finest, Hallam, wished he already had the earmuffs.

Birmingham (4-1-3-2): Ryan Allsop; Ethan Laird, Christoph Klarer, Ben Davies, Alex Cochrane; Tomoki Iwata (Krystian Bielik 84); Kieran Dowell (Marc Leonard 61), Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Keshi Anderson (Scott Wright 61); Lyndon Dykes (Alfie May 61), Jay Stansfield (Grant Hanley 84). Subs not used: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Luke Harris.

Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Hakeem Odoffin, Sean Raggett, Zak Jules, Reece James; Louie Sibley (Jack Holmes 87), Cameron Humphreys, Joe Powell; Andre Green (Jordan Hugill 81); Mallik Wilks, Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Liam Kelly, Dan Gore, Ben Hatton.

Goals: Nombe 43 (Rotherham); Stansfield 53, 80 pen (Birmingham)

Referee: Farai Hallam (Surrey)

Attendance: 24,393 (518)