Yahoo News Alex Dicken's Birmingham City player ratings as Burke booed and Stansfield denied at Rotherham
Birmingham City weren’t able to pull clear of the relegation zone after failing to beat already relegated Rotherham United.
Jay Stansfield was denied a winning goal in the closing stages but Blues failed to live up to the heights of last weekend. The spoils were eventually shared two-and-a-half hours after the game had initially kicked-off due to stoppages, one of which saw a Rotherham supporter rushed to hospital.
Tyler Roberts missed a good chance to settle Blues’ nerves inside two minutes. Keshi Anderson left Ollie Rathbone in his wake and picked out the unmarked Roberts but the ex-Leeds United attacker volleyed wide of the target.
The game was suddenly halted by referee Keith Stroud in the eighth minute and medics rushed over to the Ben Bennett Family Stand of the New York Stadium where a supporter had collapsed. Stroud took the players off the pitch while the fan was treated by medics before both teams were given the green light to return.
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The fan was stretchered out of the stadium at 3:30pm and play resumed 15 minutes later. The stadium announcer said: "The emergency services have dealt with the casualty and he is heading off to hospital in an ambulance.” Everyone inside the stadium rose to applaud the medics who acted so promptly.
Blues struggled to find their rhythm after play restarted and Rotherham had some joy when the ball was in the air. Jordan Hugill towered over Lee Buchanan to meet a left wing cross but his header lacked the power to trouble John Ruddy.
The first half, which ended at 4:30pm after further stoppages, was a world away from what we experienced last weekend when Blues dismantled Coventry City. Supporters in the away end vented their anger towards the end of a substandard 45 minutes.
Oliver Burke took the brunt of that frustration and Gary Rowett hooked him at half-time. Koji Miyoshi, who lost his place in the XI to Burke, was summoned from the bench.
Blues’ second half performance wasn’t that much improved on the first but they thought they had found the breakthrough in the 77th minute. Paik Seung-ho’s free-kick fell to Stansfield and the striker rifled it past Viktor Johansson.
Stansfield wheeled away in celebration in front of the 2,200 Blues fans only to see the flag raised. Replays suggest Buchanan was adjudged to have been obstructing Johansson’s view from an offside position.
Miyoshi almost snuck a shot home on the turn in stoppage time but it wasn’t to be. Blues pulled two points clear of the relegation zone after Huddersfield Town’s 4-0 defeat to Swansea, but it could - and probably should - have been more.
John Ruddy 7
Ruddy - who was handed the captain’s armband by Rowett - provided a safe pair of hands whenever Rotherham launched a cross into his box. The goalkeeper produced a solid performance to keep another clean sheet.
Ethan Laird 6
Laird had minimal influence in the first half but ventured forward more after half-time. He combined well with Miyoshi on occasions but couldn’t deliver when he found himself in good positions.
Krystian Bielik 7
The Poland international looked comfortable at centre-back again. He coped with the aerial threat of Hugill and used the ball smartly when playing out from defence.
Dion Sanderson 6.5
Sanderson also did well against Hugill and Nombe who caused him issues in the game at St Andrew’s in December. The only criticism of Sanderson is that he could have played out with more urgency in the second half.
Lee Buchanan 7
Buchanan defended well on the left of Blues’ defence. His form has improved considerably since Rowett arrived.
Paik Seung-ho 6
Paik tried to knit attacks together but the movement wasn’t there in front of him for much of the game. The South Korean’s deliveries from set pieces were useful.
Ivan Sunjic 6
Sunjic gave Blues an insurance policy in midfield and offered Bielik and Sanderson good protection.
Oliver Burke 3
Burke’s surprise selection felt like a gamble and it didn’t pay off. His touch was extremely poor and he wasted possession in some good positions. Blues fans turned on Burke shortly before half-time and Rowett hooked him.
Tyler Roberts 5
Roberts wasn’t able to build on his superb showing against Coventry last weekend. He missed a good chance to open the scoring in the second minute. The wait for a Blues goal goes on.
Keshi Anderson 5
Anderson was part of the trio of ineffective attackers behind Stansfield. The winger didn’t build on his Coventry showing.
Jay Stansfield 7
The on-loan Fulham forward thought he scored a valid goal only to see it chalked off. He fought for the cause and went closest to a winner.
SUBS
Koji Miyoshi (for Burke, 46) 7
Miyoshi made an impact and Blues' best moments in the second half came through him and Stansfield. He will surely start next weekend.
Juninho Bacuna (for T Roberts, 59) 5
Bacuna had some positive moments but he didn't reach full tilt. Dembele was more effective on this occasion.
Siriki Dembele (for Anderson, 78) 6
Showed glimpses of his talent with some lovely touches through midfield. Dembele can still play his part before the end of the season.
Scott Hogan (for Stansfield, 89) N/A
Not used: Etheridge, M Roberts, James, Gardner, Hall
Attendance: 11,001 (2,204)
