Rovers lost ground in attempting to extend their season into May, as despite dominating in all the statistics, they failed to make the main one of ‘goals’ count, as a former flame came back to haunt them at St. Andrew’s.
Following a fortnight of absence from club football due to the international break, Rovers returned to action with one change from the side that narrowly fell to a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals, last time out. Tyrhys Dolan took the place of Ben Brereton Díaz who had sustained a slight injury in Chile’s 3-2 victory over Paraguay. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Rovers’ team selection, as just like in 2021, Bradley Dack was making an injury comeback at St. Andrew’s with the playmaker being available from the bench for the first time since the 1-0 win over Swansea City.
As the pressure ramped up in the Second City ahead of the first of Rovers’ nine cup finals in search of securing a playoff spot, it was the away side who got the game underway through Sammie Szmodics, after referee Andy Davies’ whistle.
Rovers started the tie brightly as they managed to force John Ruddy into an early catch after just 60 seconds. The visitors worked the ball well as Ryan Hedges found Joe Rankin-Costello, but the marauding full-back’s cross was deflected into the waiting gloves of Ruddy.
Hedges was again showing his liveliness in the opening stages as in the 8th minutes, he provided again, as Sam Gallagher got on the end of the Welshman’s floated cross, but the nod lacked the power to trouble the Blues skipper.
Birmingham got themselves forwards after ten minutes as Lukas Jutkiewicz looked to try and find a teammate in the box with a low ball across the Rovers six-yard area, yet Lewis Travis proved to be in the right place at the right time to intercept the cross which bounced back off Rovers’ upright, in a ‘heart in mouth’ moment, before being cleared.
Rankin-Costello looked to play a ball across the six-yard box of his own, in the 12th minute, but there were no takers in the red third strip of Rovers as the home side regained possession of the ball as the danger passed.
Despite his goalscoring prowess, Lukas Jutkiewicz was playing the role of ‘provider’ in this tie as he set up Tahith Chong for an effort, but the ex-Manchester United winger failed to test Aynsley Pears.
A Rovers corner in the 17th minute saw Hedges nearly claim and assist as Dom Hyam – fresh from being part of the matchday squad that saw Scotland beat Cyprus and Spain – climbed highest to reach the set-piece, but the former Coventry City man couldn’t direct home on his former temporary home ground.
Ryan Hedges was the heart of the Rovers team as he made everything tick. The 25th minute saw him get on the edge of a Harry Pickering delivery after some fine build-up by the visitors, yet the Welshman was beaten to the ball by the onrushing Ruddy.
From Ruddy’s clearance, Jutkiewicz managed to fashion half-a-chance as his effort was blocked behind for a corner by Dom Hyam, which the away side dealt with.
The former Burnley man was again forwards and causing havoc in a rather open game. The 28th minute saw Pears forced into making a fine stop to deny the Blues attacker the first goal of the game from close-range, as the score remained goalless as we approached half-an-hour.
Hedges was again a lynchpin for Rovers as he found Sammie Szmodics in the 34th minute whose effort ballooned high and wide of John Ruddy’s goal, much to the satisfaction of the home crowd.
Rovers continued to be in control of the ball and the opportunities as they fashioned another in the 38th minute, as Tyrhys Dolan picked out Hedges, but John Ruddy was again on-hand to deny Rovers the opener, as the ex-England international goalkeeper continued putting in a captain’s performance.
Hayden Carter looked to mark his new contract with a stunner from range moments later, but Ruddy saw it all the way and claimed the powerful drive.
As the 45th minute ticked over, there was one minute of time added onto the end of the first period, which ended with Tyrhys Dolan and Auston Trusty both being booked for an off the ball tussle.
John Eustace would have been delighted that his side had held off an early Rovers onslaught, before gaining a foothold on the game. The former midfielder, however, would have been ruing the missed chances that his sides had failed to net in the first-half, given Rovers seemed to still be reeling from their cup defeat, a fortnight ago.
The feeling would have been similar in the away dressing room, as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s reaction at the break would have been one of encouragement. The Dane would have enjoyed his side having the most of the possession, but would have wanted them to make the chances they had created count. There would have been discussions amongst the coaching staff whether or not they should unleash the attacking talents of Ben Brereton Díaz and/or Bradley Dack for the second period.
After both sets of players returned to the pitch with the words of their respective managers ringing in their ears, it was Birmingham City who got the game back underway, as they looked to secure a first victory over Rovers this season, having lost twice and drawn the third, in the FA Cup Fourth Round.
Rovers started the second-half as brightly as the first as Ryan Hedges was again setting the tone. The Welshman received a short corner and tried to find the far corner with a left-footed effort from distance, but John Ruddy pulled off a sublime save to divert the ball out for a corner, which the hosts cleared.
In the 52nd minute, Szmodics looked to put a cross into the box, but Rankin-Costello’s attack hit the side-netting.
Lewis Travis was soon booked in the 53rd minute for fouling Brum forward, George Hall.
Lightning soon struck twice for Rovers, as Reda Khadra came back to haunt his former side for the second time this season, after netting at Ewood Park in the initial FA Cup tie, back in January. The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion winger, managed to break the deadlock at St. Andrew’s after a set-piece broke out to him on the edge of the area, and he kept his composure to bring the ball down and find the bottom left-hand corner, past the hapless Aynsley Pears. Khadra, who had only scored three goals for Birmingham prior to today’s fixture, wheeled away in celebration of making it 1-0 and netting his fourth for the Second City side, which meant that 50% of his Birmingham goals have come against Rovers.
Four minutes after the goal, both sides looked to shuffle their pack as Rovers introduced Ben Brereton Díaz and Sorba Thomas for Tyrhys Dolan and Ryan Hedges, whilst Birmingham introduced Junior Bacuna for the goalscorer, Reda Khadra, who lapped up the applause from the home contingency.
Rovers managed to muster a corner in the 79th minute as they continued to attack with no end product. Sorba Thomas’ cross was flicked on by Dom Hyam, but Brereton Díaz couldn’t divert the ball inside the far-post.
Both sides again moved to utilise their benches as Callum Brittain and Bradley Dack were introduced for Joe Rankin-Costello and Sammie Szmodics, whilst Scott Hogan came on for Lukas Jutkiewicz, for the hosts.
Ben Brereton Díaz and Bradley Dack soon came alive in the 84th minute as the Chilean found his fishing partner with a through ball, but Dack’s attempt at a tight angle was somehow saved by Ruddy as the ball rolled across the face of goal before being cleared by the home defence who were scrambling to keep their lead intact.
Tyler Morton became the third Rover to be booked as he restricted the movement of Scott Hogan moments after Birmingham cleared their lines.
In the 89th minute, Bacuna was booked for tussling with Carter, as Rovers tried to take a quick throw-in.
With 90 minutes on the clock, a rally cry from the away end occurred after Andy Davies signalled for seven minutes of time to be added on, which came after Maxime Colin required lengthy treatment.
The 91st minute nearly saw Rovers’ blushes spared, but John Ruddy continued with the performance of his life, as he first denied Lewis Travis from the edge of the area, but spilled the ball into the path of Bradley Dack. The goalie then made amends in spectacular fashion with a right-handed save to deny Dack the leveller from yards out, much to the substitute’s disbelief.
Moments later, Birmingham began to wind down the clock by making their final three changes which saw Harlee Dean, Jobe Bellingham and Jordan James come on for George Hall, Tahith Chong and Alfie Chang.
After Jobe Bellingham was booked in the 96th minute for descent after kicking the ball away prior to Rovers being awarded possession after the match official got in the way of a Travis pass, Sam Gallagher had the game’s final chance in the 99th minute, as he got on the end of Callum Brittain’s cross, but his glance towards goal lacked the accuracy as Ruddy shepherded the ball out, despite Gallagher’s protestations for a corner.
Soon after Ruddy took his goal-kick, Mr. Davies called time on a game that will ultimately be labelled as a missed opportunity for Rovers.
Although we’re not yet at a point where we should start panicking, but the feeling of defeat is not one that Rovers will want to taste often during the eight games that remain in their season. Whilst Rovers dominated all of the statistics, they were ultimately let down by a combination of a lack of attacking threat and the brilliant one man show of John Ruddy.
Luckily for Rovers, all the results around them – bar Luton Town’s early 2-0 win over rivals Watford – went in their favour, so despite dropping one place into 6th position, they still sit with a four point cushion from Norwich City, with a crucial game in hand.
Norwich City, ironically, are the Blues’ next opponents, as they make the trip over from East Anglia to East Lancashire on Good Friday for the 3pm start. Following that crucial crunch tie, the Blues are in action on Easter Monday at Huddersfield Town for a midday start, before rounding off the Easter fixtures with a home tie against Hull City on Saturday 15th April at Ewood Park at 3pm.
