Rotherham United 0 Birmingham City 2: Millers outclassed by Blues, who look the real League One deal as home angst continues
STEVE EVANS labelled the top-dollar visitors as ‘Real Birmingham’ ahead of this fixture – while hankering to see the real Rotherham when it mattered, no doubt.
The Millers have turned over many a well-heeled visitor in his first spell in charge at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, but this wasn’t one of those days in his second stint.
Birmingham – who netted twice in the first 22 minutes through Tomoki Iwata and Jay Stansfield – nailed the outcome of this contest very early and cruised through much of the remainder of the game.
Early days it may be, but they look to be one of the most serious sides to come down to this level from the Championship for a fair while. They won’t be here for long – they are the real deal.
Rotherham United captain Jonson Clarke-Harris holds off Birmingham’s Taylor Gardner-Hickman. Picture: Tony Johnson.
They had far too much poise for the Millers, who brought little to the table. Evans’s side have won just once in four home matches now, but will at least be secure in the knowledge that they are very unlikely to face a side of the ilk of Blues on home soil again this season.
The Millers weren’t good, granted. But Birmingham’s quality must be acknowledged.
They had not dropped a point since the opening day of the season.
Speaking beforehand, Evans ventured that the big-spending Blues would get to 100 points this season and the first-half evidence suggested that he might be onto something.
Aside from a few set-piece situations, the Millers failed to trouble the visitors, who looked a class apart with their movement, passing and quality.
After a relatively quiet start, Blues took a firm stranglehold on proceedings. Tomoki Iwata – so impressive in Monday’s win over Wrexham, started to run the game and it was him who put Blues in front on 14 minutes.
The goal had a bit of an air of inevitability about it, with Iwata rifling in a clinical low angled drive from distance after Jay Stansfield’s first attempt was blocked.
Earlier, Stansfield had prevaricated after the Millers were opened up down their right by Willum Willumsson and Emil Hansson, both excellent in the opening 45 minutes, with Jamie McCart blocking.
Stansfield, the division’s £15m man – with his arrival almost quadrupling the division’s transfer record – wasn’t so wasteful 22 minutes in.
His movement and finish – a delicious lob – past Dillon Phillips smacked of class following Willumsson’s pass down the right channel. ‘What a waste of money’ chanted the noisy Birmingham symphony orchestra.
Effectively fielding a five-man defence without the ball – with Sean Raggett returning to the starting line-up – the Millers side looked one of containment.
At 2-0 down at just before the half-way point of the first period, there was also the sobering realisation that if they went chasing the game, then Blues had the high capacity of picking them off in transition, given their individual quality.
Speaking of quality, the Millers clearly also badly missed the nous of Liam Kelly in the heart of their midfield.
A smart reaction save from Dillon Phillips, who turned away Hansson’s curling drive, prevented the hosts from adding a third before the break, with the Millers best moment coming when McCart’s glancing header, from Mallik Wilks’ free-kick, was kept out by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Evans had to do something at the break and did, with Joe Powell coming on as the Millers switched to a back four – and added a much-needed additional option in midfield – with Cam Humphreys making way.
Blues, attacking their raucous band of 2,168 visiting supporters, almost added a third early in the second period when Lyndon Dykes bundled the ball wide at the far post from Alex Cochrane’s corner from the right.
While not hitting the heights of the first period, you sensed Blues – happy enough to piece together some controlled possession – had more in their locker if needed, with Rotherham clinging onto the hope that they could make things potentially interesting if they found the next goal.
They showed very limited evidence that they would, with Blues happy in their comfort zone in a pretty low-key second period in truth – mindful that the Millers, who lacked guile, conviction and wit going forward, weren’t threatening them at the other end.
A third almost arrived late on, with Alex Cochrane’s deflected drive following a free-kick routine clipping the crossbar.
Rotherham United: Phillips; Rafferty, Humphreys (Powell 46), Raggett, McCart, James (Bramall 73); Tiehi (Hugill 74), Odoffin, Wilks (Hungbo 74); Nombe, Clarke-Harris. Unused substitutes: Dawson, MacDonald, Holmes
Birmingham City: Peacock-Farrell; Gardner-Hickman, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata (Leonard 89), Paik; Willusson, Stansfield (May 79), Hansson (Anderson 62); Dykes (Wright 62). Unused substitutes: Allsop, Sampsted, Yokoyama.
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