Rotherham United 0 QPR 3: Millers boss Neil Redfearn sends for Luciano Becchio in bid to beat drop

The Argentinian striker has passed his medical and agreed personal terms after impressing on trial at the club where his previous loan spell from Norwich was cut short by a heel injury in the autumn of 2014.

Former Leeds striker Becchio, who returned home to Club Atletico Belgrano after his Canaries contract ended, could be the answer to Rotherham’s major problem in their fight for Championship survival, goals.

That was the precious 
ingredient missing from arguably the Millers’ finest first-half performance of the season on Saturday.

They were unable to make it four home wins on the trot after being sunk by two quickfire goals after the interval and another in stoppage time as QPR earned their first victory in nine games under another former Leeds striker, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Ironically, it came in front of the last R’s chief to record a win, guest for the day and Millers winger of 45 years ago Neil Warnock.

It is not only up front that Neil Redfearn is looking to strengthen but also in central midfield – an area where Paul Green and Richie Smallwood again shone.

‘Bring it on’ was former Republic of Ireland international Green’s response, having stepped in for hamstring victim Lee Frecklington for the last three games.

That trio of games within the space of eight days led to tired legs and minds defensively, believed Redfearn, who has made a fine recruit at the back in Tunisian Aimen Belaid but who needs reinforcements to ensure Rotherham remain outside the drop zone.

The experienced Green, who went the closest to giving Rotherham the goal their first-half dominance deserved with a shot against the post, agrees.

“It’s only a small group and it’s always nice to get new bodies in, fresh faces. Competition for places makes everyone more hungry. It’s nice to have it as it drives you to play better and it’s all good for the team.

“We have stuck more or less with the same team recently but with more bodies coming in we can chop and change and have fresh legs and more sharpness.”

Only goal difference keeps Rotherham out of the drop zone but the 32-year-old is confident they will survive.

“We were tremendous in the first half and the only thing missing was a goal. In the second half, it was a bit disappointing to concede when we did and we were at sixes and sevens for the second, really, though it was a great finish.

“Overall we are disappointed to come off the field with no points. We took the game on from Brighton (the 2-0 midweek win), we harassed them and played a little bit but could not get that goal. A team like QPR get one chance and finish it.

“We have a week to recover and regroup for the game at Cardiff. The lads are very disappointed but we will get back at it. A couple of wins and you are out of it, a couple of losses and you are back in it but there is confidence in the camp that we can stay away from the bottom three.

“We have been down there and come out of it with some good results against such as Hull and Brighton and we have to carry on that momentum. The big thing is to sort out our away form, starting on Saturday.”

They could have gone into it with another win had not Green’s curling 29th-minute shot struck the far post and had Nedum Onuoha not slid in to prevent Matt Derbyshire tapping home the rebound.

Derbyshire had again partnered Danny Ward up front in an unchanged 4-4-2 formation and the midweek scorers looked lively in the early stages, keeping busy Alex Smithies, back from elbow trouble and in for former England goalkeeper Rob Green, left out due to contractual problems and a proposed move to Bournemouth.

Having sold striker Charlie Austin in the morning to Southampton for around £4m, QPR had Junior Hoilett playing behind Sebastian Polter and both netted along with Matt Phillips.

The visitors rarely threatened in the first half but former QPR goalkeeper Lee Camp did well to block a far-post downward header by Grant Hall from a free-kick.

The visitors struck seven minutes after the break when Hoilett burst down the left channel and for once stayed on his feet to poke the ball past Camp under Green’s sliding challenge.

It got worse for the Millers two minutes later as Massimo Luongo fed Phillips, who fired the ball home after Kirk Broadfoot was surprisingly outmuscled and slipped in making his challenge in the area.

Jonson Clarke-Harris immediately replaced a hobbling Ward to partner Derbyshire, who was later replaced by Emmanuel Ledesma.

The Millers built late pressure, forcing three successive corners, but QPR always looked dangerous on the break and Leroy Fer set up Polter to tap home with both players looking offside, to seal the win.

Rotherham United: Camp, Facey, Belaid, Broadfoot, Mattock; G Ward, Smallwood, Green, Newell; D Ward (Clarke-Harris 55), Derbyshire (Ledesma 80). Unused substitutes: Cairns, Collins, Wood, Richardson, Thorpe.

QPR: Smithies, Perch, Onuoha, Hall, Konchesky; Phillips (Chery 86), Henry, Luongo, Fer; Hoilett (Mackie 86); Polter. Unused substitutes: Lumley, Tozser, Sandro, Petrasso.

Referee: J Adcock (Notts).