Matt Taylor frustrated as Rotherham United squander chance to distance themselves from Championship drop zone

Defeats for Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Blackpool – all failing to score just as Rotherham did – means the Millers still have an eight-point gap to the bottom three.

However, they will see this as an opportunity missed, especially having gone into the game on the back of a three-game unbeaten run.

The nature of the defeat will hurt, Birmingham City cruising to a first win in six games thanks to goals from Reda Khadra and Kevin Long.

A disappointed Rotherham boss Matt Taylor said: “We were much improved second half after a change of shape and a change of personnel, but we needed a goal to give us extra belief as the half went on and I’m a little bit disappointed with the way it petered out.

“We had better intent about us second half but you’ve got to give the opposition credit as we know how well they start games, certainly here. We didn’t quite hold onto their approach, their physicality, they came out on top and kept the ball going in their direction rather than our direction and we had no control whatsoever in that first half."

John Eustace’s side always like good value for their victory and deservedly took the lead in the fifth minute when on-loan Brighton winger Khadra he bagged his third goal for the Blues. The home side continued to dominate and deservedly doubled their lead on the 35-minute mark when Long smashed home from close range.

The Millers never truly threatened John Ruddy’s goal, but Connor Washington called him into action in the second half when his long-range strike was pushed away.

Despite only winning two games on the road all season it was highly anticipated the Millers could cause Birmingham some problems after they had picked up seven points from their previous three games.

However, football is never that straightforward and Blues rushed into the lead when Tahith Chong produced a great switch of play to Lukas Jutkiewicz, he brought the ball down beautifully before setting it out wide to Khadra who cut onto his right and smashed it into the top corner.

Blues continued to dominate and doubled their lead when Chong’s low corner met Alfie Chang at the near post and he flicked the ball onto Long, who hammered it into the back of the net from close range.

Taylor said of the goal: “It’s not a corner (for Long’s goal), he’s (the referee’s) missed that one, he’s missed a clear penalty, but it wasn’t the official’s fault for the whole of that first-half performance. He had a poor afternoon like we did.

“Jordan Hugill has got goal side of his marking man and there’s so much going on in the 18-yard box and I know it’s difficult for referees but there’s four of them looking at it, he’s wresting and pulling him.”

Ruddy was only called into action in the 58th minute when Washington picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and fired a powerful half-volley towards goal which was comfortably pushed away.

Birmingham City: Ruddy, Dean, Long, Trusty, Colin, Chang, Bielik (James 32), Khadra (Roberts 79), Hall (Hogan 79), Chong (Mejbri 79), Jutkiewicz. Unused substitutes: Etheridge, Graham, Longelo.

Rotherham United: Johansson, Harding, Peltier (Bramall 64), Humphreys, Hjelde (Washington 46), Coventry (Kelly 64), Odofin (Lindsay 46), Fosu, Ogbene, Hugill, Ferguson (Blackett 63). Unused substitutes: Kioso, Vickers.

Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).