Rotherham moved a step closer to Championship relegation as QPR inflicted a 12th straight away defeat.

The Millers are now 24 points adrift of safety - the exact number left to play for - but a goal difference of -54 has all but sealed their fate.

Matt Smith lashed in after five minutes before Joe Newell's 25-yard strike and Luke Freeman's poked goal made it 2-1.

Yeni Ngbakoto scored a penalty, Massimo Luongo headed in and Nedum Onuoha added a late fifth to complete the victory.

At the start of the day Rotherham could have seen their drop to League One confirmed, butBlackburn's 2-2 draw with Preston before kick-off ensured that they would hang on for another week, regardless of their result.

However, Paul Warne's side had taken just one point on the road all season and were soon behind, with Smith firing in a volley after good work from Idrissa Sylla.

Newell's stunning volley levelled the game, but hesitant Millers defending allowed Freeman through on goal less than a minute later and he beat Lewis Price to put QPR back in front.

The home side extended their lead straight after the break as Ngbakoto converted from the spot after Aymen Belaid's foul on Smith and Luongo's first goal for the club from Ngbakoto's cross made their lead comfortable.

Conor Washington struck the post before Onuoha converted a free-kick with a tap-in in injury time to round off Rotherham's 29th league defeat of the season.

The comfortable win is Rangers' fifth in seven games, while Rotherham, who have a goal difference 40 worse than fourth-from-bottom Burton, will see their three-season stay in the Championship finally come to an end if they fail to beat Fulham on 1 April.

QPR boss Ian Holloway:

"I didn't enjoy the first half at all. We scored early and it looked like we thought we'd done enough.

"We didn't move the ball sharply or press, but luckily we managed to get another goal and then the second half I was delighted with.

"In the end we got what we deserved, but we've got to keep going. Let's hope we can get a group of players who believe they can win on a regular basis. At the minute, our stats are telling me that's what we're doing."

Rotherham boss Paul Warne:

"My overriding emotion is of embarrassment. I'm clapping our fans at the end and most of them were pretty courteous to me. If they were throwing stuff at me I'd understand why.

"I'm not saying they threw the towel in, because that's not what they did, but you could tell they just wanted the game to end after 65 minutes.

"In this league, some of our players are being outclassed. I can't legislate for individual errors of that magnitude."