So close to ending the travel sickness ... on-the-whistle report: Middlesbrough 1 Rotherham United 1

The Championship's bottom-placed club were leading with only eight minutes of regulation time remaining and in sight of their first victory on the road in 30 attempts.

But the home side, who had beaten Premier League Chelsea in the League Cup in their previous outing on their own turf, hit back with a late equaliser.

The result left Leam Richardson's side eight points shy of safety with 18 games left to play.

It was a commendable effort by the visitors but they will be frustrated that they didn't quite manage to get the job done after 14 months of misery on the road.

Rotherham looked like they might take a seventh-minute lead when Jordan Hugill shaped to shoot from the edge of the box after Sam Clucas had won possession but the striker's curling effort against his hometown club went just wide.

Eleven minutes later, it was the home side who almost went in front as Millers old boy Dan Barlaser delivered a corner right into the danger area and Matt Clarke's header was only inches off target.

Boro were dominating possession and territory but the visitors were holding firm on a cold, blustery north-east day as they were cheered on by an away following of around 650 fans.

Sam Greenwood tested Viktor Johansson with a fierce drive as Middlesbrough's sharp passing continued to ask questions of Rotherham and the Barlaser-Clarke corner combination produced another opening but this time the header went much further astray.

As the interval approached, Johansson denied Marcus Forss an opener, stretching to keep out a low poke from the substitute following Hayden Hackney's pass.

Peter Kioso was back in a Millers squad for the first time since May.

The defender had been hit by illness last weekend following his loan recall from Peterborough United and missed out against Stoke City.

He took his place among the subs on Teesside on a rare occasion that injury-hit Rotherham were able to fill their bench and was in the action before half-time as replaced injured Cohen Bramall.

Ollie Rathbone found himself out of the starting 11 as head coach Richardson went with a 3-5-1-1 formation that had Cafu just behind lone frontman Hugill.

Kioso was wayward with a shot eight minutes after the break but soon afterwards the Millers were ahead as Hugill played in Cafu who made no mistake, sparking huge celebrations in the away section.

Morgan Rogers shot over for Middlesbrough but Rotherham were defending resolutely and keeping a grip on their lead as the clock began to tick down.

Their defiance lasted until the 82nd minute when Forss whipped a shot beyond Johansson's reach into the net.

In isolation, it was a positive result for the Millers. But the reality is that they need more than draws in their fight for survival.

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Tom Glover; Luke Ayling, Dael Fry, Matt Clarke, Lukas Engel; Dan Barlaser (Lewis O'Brien 81), Hayden Hackney; Isaiah Jones (Marcus Forss 20), Finn Azaz (Matt Crooks 68), Morgan Rogers; Sam Greenwood (Josh Coburn 81). Subs not used: Jamie Jones, Rav van den Berg, Alex Gilbert, Paddy McNair, Law McCabe.

Rotherham (3-5-1-1): Viktor Johansson; Hakeem Odoffin, Sean Morrison, Seb Revan; Lee Peltier, Jamie Lindsay (Ollie Rathbone 76), Christ Tiehi, Sam Clucas, Cohen Bramall (Peter Kioso 36); Cafu (Sam Nombe 86); Jordan Hugill (Tom Eaves 76). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Tolaji Bola, Arvin Appiah, Georgie Kelly, Ciaran McGuckin.

Goals: Forss 82 (Middlesbrough); Cafu 59 (Rotherham).

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).