Rocket by Reda gives Blues the edge in relegation scrap

JOHN EUSTACE praised an “outstanding” performance to ease Birmingham’s relegation worries.

Brum are now 10 points clear of the drop zone and Eustace said: “It was a great first half from us and then second half we had to show our other side at times but it’s all about getting wins.

“We’re not getting carried away. Anything can happen in the Championship and it’s relentless.” Rotherham battled to carve a way back after the break but couldn’t undo the first-half damage.

Boss Matt Taylor switched things around and did unsettle the home side but the Blues managed to hold on to what they had worked so hard for. With both sides too close to the relegation mix, the importance of three points was clear and Brum struck a decisive early blow.

They were in front after just five minutes in spectacular fashion when Reda Khadra sent an unstoppable shot flying into the net from the edge of the box.

Ten minutes before the break they increased their lead in controversial circumstances from a wrongly awarded corner. Rotherham hadn’t finished protesting when Kevin Long seized on a loose ball and smashed in a left-foot shot.

But Millers manager Taylor said: “We needed to keep it at 1-0 by half-time but we can’t blame that.

‘‘The fact is that we started poorly and deserved to be behind.”

BIRMINGHAM: Ruddy 7; Trusty 7, Dean 7, Long 7, Colin 7; Bielik 5 (James (31)

7), Chang 7; Chong 8 (Mejbri (79) 5), Khadra 8 (Roberts (79) 5), Hall 7 (79) 5); Jutkiewicz 7

ROTHERHAM: Johansson 8; Harding 6, Humphreys 6, Peltier 6 (Bramall (64) 6), Hjelde 6 (Washington (46) 7); Coventry 6 (Kelly (64) 6), Fosu 7; Ferguson 6 (Blackett (64) 6), Odoffin 6 (Lindsay

(46) 6), Ogbene 6; Hugill 6

STAR MAN: Reda Khadra - Gave Brum the perfect start they needed.

REF: Geoff Eltringham 7