Millers on the survival charge ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 3 QPR 1

The centre-forward was named captain for the day and marked the occasion at AESSEAL New York Stadium with an early breakthrough and then a second-half penalty that helped to lift the Millers above their opponents in the table.

Matt Taylor's side are now up to 18th in the standings and they increased the gap between themselves and the drop zone to eight points with 11 games left to play.

They survived a late scare when Rangers hauled themselves back into the contest before Hakeem Odoffin rounded off proceedings in stoppage time to confirm a deserved victory.

Boss Taylor has earmarked March as a time when his team can really make a survival move and his players duly obliged in their first game of the month as they took their points tally to seven in their last three fixtures.

Rotherham took the lead in the 15th-minute with a superbly-worked move finished off by Hugill.

Tariqe Fosu's killer pass sent Chiedozie Ogbene racing clear down the right and the winger's low cross set up the January signing to calmly slot the ball home.

Nine minutes later, the Millers were indebted to Viktor Johansson for their lead remaining intact as the goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to tip away Stefan Johansen's close-range volley.

Albert Adomah had taken advantage of a slip by Cameron Humphreys to deliver the ball to the back post and the Millers centre-half soon atoned for his error with a thumping tackle on Jamal Lowe that had to be perfectly timed as the QPR man bore down on goal inside the penalty area.

Rotherham had suffered a huge blow prior to kick-off, with key men Ollie Rathbone and Lee Peltier ruled out by injury.

The visitors had their own troubles and were forced to name a side without three of their most dangerous attackers: Ilias Chair, Chris Willock and Lyndon Dykes.

In a game with openings at both ends, Odoffin tested visiting keeper Seny Dieng with a fierce shot from a tight angle after being picked out by Ogbene's clever pass just after the half-hour mark.

Conor Coventry was showing up well in midfield for the home side and Hugill was taking a battering and giving one out up front.

QPR, who had topped the table early in the campaign, had travelled from London South Yorkshire without a win in their last 12 matches and under a new manager in Gareth Ainsworth who was taking charge of his first away game for the club.

They almost found themselves further behind five minutes before the interval when a lightning break saw Hugill's cross-field pass play in Shane Ferguson whose 18-yard drive brought a superb stop from Dieng.

Rotherham had made two changes from the side that had started the 1-1 draw at Swansea City on Monday. Wes Harding and Odoffin replaced Peltier and Rathbone respectively while there was a place in the squad for Peter Kioso for the first time in six weeks.

The second period was only a couple of minutes old when huge shouts for a penalty rang out around New York. Dieng looked to have pushed over Harding in front of the North Stand but referee Darren Bond thought otherwise.

Sam Field wasn't too far away for the visitors with an effort from the edge of the box that flew over and Jimmy Dunne should have done better than miss the target from Aaron Drewe's supply.

Ref Bond hadn't listed to the first penalty appeal but he pointed to the spot when Hugill was pulled down by Rob Dickie.

The scorer of the first goal picked himself off the floor to take the kick himself and the noise was deafening as he sent Dieng the wrong way to double the Millers' lead.

Taylor Richards brought a stop from Johansson but it was Rotherham who were in the ascendancy in the closing stages and they could have added to their advantage had their crossing been a little more accurate.

Things became nervy in the dying minutes when QPR scored a penalty of their own, Jamal Lowe converting after Harding had tripped Sinclair Armstrong, and Dickie spurned the chance of an equaliser as he lifted he ball over the bar.

But Odoffin stepped up in time added on with a sweet finish into the bottom corner to keep the Millers' bandwagon rolling.

Rotherham (4-3-3): Viktor Johansson; Wes Harding, Bailey Wright, Cameron Humphreys, Leo Hjelde; Hakeem Odoffin, Conor Coventry, Tariqe Fosu (Georgie Kelly, 89); Chiedozie Ogbene (Peter Kioso 90+3), Jordan Hugill (Conor Washington 89), Shane Ferguson (Jamie Lindsay 75). Subs not used: Josh Vickers, Cohen Bramall, Tom Eaves.

QPR (4-2-3-1): Seny Dieng; Osman Kakay, Jimmy Dunne, Rob Dickie, Aaron Drewe; Stefan Johansen, Sam Field; Albert Adomah (Taylor Richards 65), Tim Iroegbunam (Sinclair Armstrong 65), Jamal Lowe; Chris Martin. Subs not used: Jordan Archer, Andrre Dozzell, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Joe Gubbins, Alex Aoraha.

Goals: Hugill 15, pen 70, Odoffin 90+1 (Rotherham); Lowe pen 83 (QPR).

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).

Attendance: 10,563 (1,162).