MATCH REPORT:Millers get another dose of the Blues

A poor first half was punished by three goals from the Blues and although Jon Taylor’s reply soon after half time raised hopes of a first away point of the season, the home side wrapped up a 4-2 win to leave  Alan Stubbs’ side still bottom of the table and nursing a seventh straight away loss.

Stubbs re-introduced Stephen Kelly, Jake Forster-Caskey and Kelvin Wilson back to the side but the old failures resurfaced.

Sloppy marking allowed Michael Morrison in to head the opener on 14 minutes. The damage was repaired by a sweet equaliser just past the half-hour. Greg Halford,  on as an early substitute for Wilson, dinked a ball into the box and Forster-Caskey’s dummy freed Ward to curl in.

City replied swiftly when Lukas Jutkiewicz stooped to nod in and the Millers conceded again two minutes before the break when they lost the ball near halfway and Jacques Maghoma raced to clear find Lee Camp’s bottom left-hand corner.

Rotherham might have a leaky defence, but they also have some poke up front and it was game on again within ten minutes of the restart when Taylor popped up to turn in Will Vaulks’ cross at the far post.

The goal transformed the side. They suddenly found some momentum and forced several close calls in the home penalty area, with Brown putting the best chance at Adam Legzdins.

However the good work was undone six minutes from time when another defensive mix-up saw Camp fell substitute Che Adams and David Cotterill despatched the resulting penalty.

Birmingham: Legzdins, Grounds, Shotton, Kieftenbeld, Gleeson, Cotterill, Maghoma, Spector, Morrison, Jutkiewicz (Brown 64), Donaldson

Millers: Camp, Kelly, Fisher, Wilson (Halford 14), Ball, Taylor, Vaulks (Blackstock 74), Forster-Caskey, Frecklington, Brown, Ward

Referee: Chris Kavanagh