Millar double fires Birmingham past QPR

Birmingham City continued their impressive run in the Championship on Saturday, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at St Andrew's. The win, which propelled Chris Davies' side to fourth in the league standings, was headlined by a clinical brace from winger Liam Millar. The result marks a significant statement of intent for the Blues, who have now kept three consecutive clean sheets.

Millar opened the scoring in the 27th minute, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack following a QPR corner. After being played through by Tomoki Iwata, the forward calmly slotted the ball home to give the hosts the lead. The partnership between the two proved lethal again shortly after the interval, as Iwata dispossessed the visitors in midfield before setting up Millar for his second goal of the afternoon in the 49th minute.

Despite the deficit, QPR attempted to find a way back into the contest. Goalkeeper James Beadle, making his 50th appearance for the club, was called into action to deny a powerful effort from Ronnie Edwards midway through the second half. While the visitors pushed forward in search of a goal, their defensive vulnerabilities ultimately allowed Birmingham to extend their lead in the final moments.

In the first minute of stoppage time, substitute Demarai Gray added a third goal to seal the result. Gray hammered a precise pull-back from Luis Vazquez into the top corner, capping off a dominant performance. The victory leaves Birmingham just three points off the league leaders, cementing their status as genuine promotion contenders this season.

Following the match, QPR manager Julien Stephan expressed frustration, suggesting his side's own errors contributed significantly to the scoreline. Conversely, Chris Davies praised Millar’s impact, noting that the loanee has settled in perfectly and demonstrated both the intelligence and clinical finishing required to excel at this level.