He became the Millers' match-winner in the first encounter between two teams on minus points.

Out on the left touchline, Rhodes sliced his 61st-minute cross and watched as it sailed over the back-pedalling Dean Brill and nestled into the net – the Luton goalkeeper requiring treatment not to just injured pride but to his back after colliding with the far post.

Rhodes confessed: "I'm going to tell you lot that I meant it but I just looked up and thought I would try and get it in the right area. It was a cross but as long as I have scored it does not matter if it came off my ear."

The goal was reminiscent to the one Scott McGleish scored against the Millers in rescuing a point for Wycombe in January and it left Rotherham just three points away from wiping out the 17-point deduction imposed for breaching the Football League's insolvency policy.

More importantly, it left them 17 points clear of Luton, who were docked 30 points for a similar offence plus a breach of Football Association regulations, and eight ahead of Bournemouth, who suffered Rotherham's fate.

It was not a great advert for watching games between deducted sides, however. Former Millers chief Mick Harford, now in charge of the Hatters, candidly said: "It was a pretty dire game decided by a fluke goal. The players know they did not perform. The game never took off although it was a strange environment for football (playing in an athletics stadium).

"We told our players the importance of the game – it was massive in terms of of points – but although the players are on a bit of a low we will bounce back."

Rotherham manager Mark Robins was less critical and, it has to be said, his side finished by far the stronger and could have won more comfortably.

"It wasn't a great game but the clash of teams with minus 47 points between them was always going to put a bit of pressure on us going into the game. The build-up was a little bit different to normal with the national spotlight being on us but to me it was always going to be about three points and I think we deserved them although we were not outstanding.

"We created more opportunities, we looked to have the right balance and we could have scored a couple more. It was 80 degrees out there and that made it tough but defensively we were magnificent because their front two are good players."

Centre-backs Nick Fenton and Ian Sharps snuffed out the danger to such an extent that Andy Warrington had only one save to make and that was from a 25-yard volley straight at him from Keith Keane in the first half.

Luton appeared to have limited ambition but the Millers also struggled during the first half, their only chance falling to Drewe Broughton, who spooned the ball over from eight yards after Reuben Reid headed down a cross from Pablo Mills.

The tussle between Rhodes and Claude Gnapka had been one of the few highlights and the Luton right-back was booked before the break for a handling offence.

He should have been sent off eight minutes after the winger's fluke goal when he hacked down Rhodes close to halfway. Phil Gibbs, who has stepped up from Conference level, ducked his responsibilities, however, and admonished a ticking off.

Harford wisely decided to substitute Gnapka but he tried in vain to stem the threat from Rhodes by first using Keane as his marker and then Ed Asafu-Adajaye.

Rather than defend their lead, the Millers, employing three strikers, continued to attack, forcing six corners in as many minutes, Brill turning away Reid's shot on the turn and the Rotherham striker was again denied as he attempted to turn in Broughton's goalbound effort before Harry Worley's mis-directed header fell for Rhodes to lash in a shot which Brill saved, flying full-length to his left.

The gloss was taken off Rotherham's victory as right-back Mark Lynch suffered a shoulder injury in stoppage time which makes him a doubt for tomorrow's Carling Cup encounter at home to Southampton.


Rotherham United: Warrington, Lynch (Green 90), Sharps, Fenton, Nicholas; Harrison, Mills, Cummins (Hudson 84); Reid, Broughton, Rhodes. Unused substitutes: Cann, Burchill, Garcia.

Luton Town: Brill, Gnapka (Charles 70), Spillane, Worley, Emanuel; Jarvis (Watson 77), Keane, Hall (Asafu-Adajaye 77), Pugh; Parkin, Jarvis. Unused substitutes: Logan, Roper.

Referee: P Gibbs (West Midlands).