FORMER Blues defender Chris Swailes is confident Rotherham can more than match any of their remaining five opponents and survive the relegation dogfight, writes Derek Davis.

FORMER Blues defender Chris Swailes is confident Rotherham can more than match any of their remaining five opponents and survive the relegation dogfight, writes Derek Davis.

Defeat at home to Ipswich leaves the Millers perilously close to the drop zone, but skipper Swailes believes they can escape with a game to spare, as none will be as good as Town.

He said: "We have five games left, starting with Stoke on Monday, and it is imperative that we get something from that.

"We must beat Watford and Burnley and have it tied up as we don't want to be going into our last game against Walsall needing points.

"We more than match the better teams, and Ipswich have a lot of pace and are a threat to anyone. Coventry away will be hard but none of the last five teams we have left will be as good as we have faced in Ipswich."

Rotherham gave Town quite a scare, especially after taking the lead, then having two penalty appeals turned down, two shots come back off the woodwork and seeing Kelvin Davis make a tremendous save from Martin Butler.

But they could not hold on in the second half as Town upped their game.

Swailes said: "It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from us. Going in at half time I thought there was only going to be one winner – us.

"But Ipswich have scored a great equaliser. Then we got caught for the second goal and another good finish from Bent. And then as we were chasing the game Kuqi has scored."

The Millers' skipper was making a return in defence after a two-match ban, and replaced on-loan West Brom defender Phil Gilchrist, who was suffering an abscess in the mouth.