From cruising, to almost losing, there is rarely a lack of drama when Rovers are around.

A rare routine win, and regulation three points were there for the taking, and seemingly within grasp.

If anything, they were possibly too comfortable in a second half that was simply drifting along with them 2-0 ahead.

And that is surely what this would have been had, were it not for a mad two-minute spell in the freezing cold at Ewood.

Birmingham looked devoid of ideas, their travelling fans frustrated, as conditions continued to wreak havoc

For the most part Rovers had successfully managed the swirling wind and driving rain.

But a rush of blood to the head from David Raya handed Birmingham the initiative on a plate 12 minutes from time.

The ‘keeper came bounding off his line, as the outstretched boot of Charlie Mulgrew could only turn a cross skyward.

As the ball hung in the wind, Raya was close to the edge of his box by the time he clattered the onrushing Maxime Colin, leaving referee Tony Harrington in no doubt as he pointed to the spot.

The 'keeper couldn’t redeem his error, as Craig Gardner slammed home the penalty, and from nowhere it was game on.

Then, in their next attack, Gardner slipped the ball inside Ryan Nyambe and Lukas Jutkiewicz was on hand to square for Che Adams who had the simple task of levelling the scores within two minutes.

Rovers were reeling, and in the end, Birmingham looked the more likely to snatch all three points in a frantic finish.

That looked an almost impossible scenario as Rovers worked themselves in to a winning position courtesy of goals from Danny Graham and Adam Armstrong.

Graham headed in his ninth of the season, getting across his marker to meet a Harrison Reed free kick in the 19th minute, to extend his impressive recent scoring run.

Bradley Dack and Corry Evans fired over from distance, before Birmingham ended the first half the stronger.

Connor Mahoney went close to levelling on his return to Ewood Park as he fizzed a shot wide of the post after cutting inside Amari’i Bell, before Adams fired tamely at Raya after working himself in to promising positions inside the box.

As the fans thawed out during the break, the second half wasn’t 60 seconds old when Rovers doubled their advantage.

Adam Armstrong, on as a first half substitute after Craig Conway limped off, was teed up by a Bradley Dack backheel as Rovers kept the ball alive in the Birmingham box The attacker fired an effort across Lee Camp which nestled in the far corner to give Rovers the dream start.

Birmingham, also forced in to a change early on because of injury, had made all three of their changes by the 55th minute.

But the game could well and truly have been out of sight by then, as Richie Smallwood pounced on the loose ball and fed Reed who was denied by a fine Camp save.

Graham remains an integral part of this Rovers side, not just for his goals, as he was replaced by Ben Brereton with 20 minutes to play.

Rovers are yet to truly work out a way to play without the experienced frontman, and they struggled to keep the ball in the Birmingham half after his departure.

But it would be far-fetched to link his substitution with Rovers manufacturing a way to blow their two goal lead.

For it was Raya’s misjudgement which was the turning point. From there, Rovers never recovered a more points slipped through their fingers ahead of the busiest, and most testing, period of the season.