The stand-in's pride, a drink with Wayne Rooney and the face in the crowd ... the story of Birmingham City 0 Rotherham United 0

In the Reds corner, Wayne Carlisle: Crystal Palace squad player, loan spell at Swindon Town, valued member of the Northern Ireland B team.

‘Wazza’ v ‘Wayno’ - as everyone in the Rotherham United camp calls the interim boss - with the Millers looking to put a dent in their Championship away-day misery this season at Birmingham City.

The latter may lack the former's playing pedigree but as a manager he had the edge.

The Millers recorded their first away clean sheet on their way to only their second away point.

Afterwards, Carlisle was hoping to grab a brew with his illustrious counterpart before driving down to Devon to be with the family he hadn't seen since he stepped temporarily into the breach created by the sacking of Matt Taylor three weeks ago.

It was probably the final match of his three games in charge and you could see the satisfaction in his face, hear the pride in his voice as he spoke on the freezing touchline at St Andrew's after the final whistle.

“People in the past have said we have been a soft touch. We certainly weren’t that today,” he said.

“I am delighted with the way the boys went about their business but it is probably tinged with a bit of disappointment because we should have come away with all three points.

“You talk about the players' work rate, their reactions, about them being competitive. They were all of those things.”

THE MATCH

Lee Peltier, Daniel Ayala, Hakeem Odoffin, Seb Revan, Ollie Rathbone, Sam Nombe ... they and others stepped up.

Because of their previous woes on the road, Rotherham remain in next-to-bottom spot, seven points shy of safety, but this was an afternoon where they rediscovered their identity away from AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Carlisle went through them off the top of his head: “Ollie had one cleared off the line, Sam nearly scored. But I think it is hard to single out individuals. You look at Lee dealing with one of their best players (Siriki Dembele) and he didn’t give him anything. Daniel, Sean Morrison when he came on, young Seb, the whole team were all incredible.”

What about Jamie Lindsay, Wayne?

“I forgot Jamie,” the caretaker smiled. “He came in for his first start for a long time and managed to bang out 70 minutes. He was really competitive in the centre of the park.”

Birmingham, a top-six side earlier in the season, have struggled since the September arrival of Rooney and home supporters grew increasingly frustrated throughout the contest to the point that there were boos at the end.

Jay Stansfield tested Viktor Johansson with a low effort early on but from then on nearly all of the best opportunities came the way of the visitors.

Nombe's sharpness and persistence saw the Millers striker mug Dion Sanderson and run in on goal to force a sharp, 19th-minute save from John Ruddy.

Then, as half-time approached, the Birmingham goalkeeper was beaten by the same player who got his head on a superb left-flank cross from Revan only for the crossbar to intervene.

Too often, Birmingham's players couldn't find a teammate with a pass. Pleasingly often, Rotherham's players, set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape and winning their one-on-ones, could.

“It was a familiar formation,” Carlisle said. “The difference was in our mentality.”

Within minutes of restart, Rathbone did all the hard work by dispossessing Ruddy after a weak Emanuel Aiwu back-pass only to be denied from point-blank range by the diving Sanderson.

‘Handball,’ screamed the away contingent behind the goal; heroic defending, decided referee Andy Davies. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Nombe twice shot wide, Cody tried his luck at the other end but it was no Drameh for Johansson and Odoffin - usually Rotherham's best finisher - fresh-aired an attempted volley right in front of goal.

As the clock ticked down and the Millers went for the win, Odoffin and Krystian Bielik traded shots while Jordan Hugill was still rueing a header from another quality Revan cross that had drifted a yard the wrong side of the post.

“If it's my last game, it's a positive way to sign off,” Carlisle said. “I am not a defensive coach. I understand football and the context we work in (in the Championship) with the squad we have and sometimes you have to compromise on stuff. Today was how I want a team I'm involved with to play.”

The contrast between the hard running, all-out effort and steely resolve to the insipid 4-1 loss at Hull City four days earlier could hardly have been greater.

“We wanted a reaction after that game and the boys rolled up their sleeves and gave a real Rotherham United performance,” the stand-in leader said.

The reaction from travelling fans as the players headed to them at full-time said it all: a rousing ovation, so different to the anger of midweek, both parties bonded in their acknowledgement of each other.

A real Rotherham United scene.

THE OTHER BOSS

Nathan Jones was doing his best to be incognito. He sidled into his seat in the main stand just before kick-off and slipped out in the 72nd minute.

There was a black hood and a dark hat as the man Rotherham had interviewed earlier in the week over their vacant hot-seat ran his eye over the team he would inherit if he said ‘yes’.

Is he going to be the next full-time manager of Rotherham? Yesterday, in the West Midlands, that was an issue for another time.

Meanwhile, the figure who's been holding the fort was looking forward to his fleeting date with his Birmingham rival.

Rooney, 53 goals for his country. Carlisle, never off the mark for non-league Truro City.

“I hadn't met him before,” ‘Wayno’ said. “I'm a big Manchester United fan. I probably shouldn't say that! I'll enjoy catching up with a legend of the club. I'll pop in for a quick drink, say ‘Hi’ and maybe get an autograph for the children."

A cup of tea, no sugar.

His day had been pretty sweet already.

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 (4-2-3-1): Viktor Johansson; Lee Peltier (Jordan Hugill 72), Daniel Ayala, Hakeem Odoffin, Seb Revan; Jamie Lindsay (Sean Morrison 72), Christ Tiehi; Arvin Appiah (Dexter Lembikisa 58), Ollie Rathbone, Cohen Bramall; Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Dillion Phillips, Grant Hall, Georgie Kelly, Tom Eaves, Ciaran McGuckin.

Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).

Attendance: 18,160 (551).