Nathan Jones watching as Millers take a point ... on-the-whistle report: Birmingham City 0 Rotherham United 0

The Millers were being led by interim chief Wayne Carlisle while the 50-year-old, who is understood to be the man the club would like to be their next boss, looked on from a seat in the main stand at St Andrew's.

Rotherham are hoping to make an announcement next week, although there is no guarantee, at this stage, that the former Luton Town and Southampton manager will be the successor to sacked Matt Taylor.

It was a good response from Carlisle's side after a poor show at Hull City four days earlier, although they remain next to bottom of the Championship and are seven points adrift of safety.

Viktor Johansson had to save Blues striker Jay Stansfield's low, third-minute shot but, other than that, it was an uneventful start, which suited the visitors just fine.

Sam Nombe, playing as a lone Millers frontman, did well in the 19th minute to outmuscle Dion Sanderson and run in on goal to test John Ruddy with a low effort.

On a freezing day at St Andrew's, Rotherham looked much tighter than they had in defeat at Hull.

They were a threat down their right flank at times as the half-hour mark came and went without either goalkeeper being called into further action.

Ruddy was beaten in the 38th minute when Nombe got his head on a superb Seb Revan cross but the crossbar came to his rescue.

Carlisle had switched to a 4-5-1 formation, opting for the experience of Lee Peltier in place of Dexter Lembikisa at right-back and moving midfielder Hakeem Odoffin into the heart of the backline.

Another midfield man, Jamie Lindsay, was making his first start of the campaign after finally overcoming a summer achilles problem, and Arvin Appiah was selected on the right in place of injured winger Fred Onyedinma.

Within minutes of the restart, Ollie Rathbone did brilliantly to rob Ruddy after a weak Emanuel Aiwu back-pass only to be denied on the line from point-blank range by Sanderson.

Two off-target Nombe shots followed as the frustration began to mount in the home crowd.

Peltier had been excellent until being substituted and Birmingham soon broke down down the wing he'd been guarding, with Siriki Dembele crossing and Cody Drameh bringing a sharp save from Johansson as the contest entered its last 20 minutes.

At the other end, Odoffin completely fluffed his lines as he tried to volley in a right-flank delivery from the dangerous Nombe.

The Millers were going for a winner rather than trying to hold out for a draw and on 81 minutes Jordan Hugill headed Revan's cross a yard wide.

Odoffin had a shot saved, and so did Krystian Bielik for Birmingham, as the clock ticked down.

By then Jones had seen enough and had already left.

The question now is, will he be watching the Rotherham's next game from the dugout?

Birmingham (4-4-2): John Ruddy; Ethan Laird (Cody Drameh 26), Emanuel Aiwu, Dion Sanderson, Lee Buchanan; Koji Myoshi, Juninho Bacuna (Jordan James 59), Krystian Bielik, Siriki Dembele; Jay Stansfield, Oliver Burke (Lukas Jutkiewicz 59). Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Marc Roberts, Scott Hogan, Gary Gardner, Ivan Sunjic, Romelle Donovan.

Rotherham (4-5-1): Viktor Johansson; Lee Peltier (Jordan Hugill 72), Daniel Ayala, Hakeem Odoffin, Seb Revan; Arvin Appiah (Dexter Lembikisa 58), Ollie Rathbone, Christ Tiehi, Jamie Lindsay (Sean Morrison 72), Cohen Bramall; Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Dillion Phillips, Grant Hall, Georgie Kelly, Tom Eaves, Ciaran McGuckin.

Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).