Danny Graham’s two first half goals ended Middlesbrough’s goal drought and saw his side to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues at the Riverside. The on-loan Sunderland man followed up after Dean Gerken had saved Mustapha Carayol’s shot in the 29th minute, then headed home ex-Blue Grant Leadbitter’s corner moments before half-time.

Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side with Paul Taylor again starting in a three-man attack. Luke Hyam and Jonny Williams returned from hamstring injuries to take places on the bench.

Academy second-year scholar Teddy Bishop travelled with the senior squad for the first time — Anthony Wordsworth having suffered a back problem in Thursday training - but was not included in the 18.

Frazer Richardson was unavailable against his parent club, while skipper Carlos Edwards also didn’t make the trip.

Boro made six changes from the side which lost 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday last week with former Town man Leadbitter returning and skippering the side.

After the home side had won a corner within the first 30 seconds, Taylor carved out the game’s first opportunity, getting behind one-time Town target George Friend on the right and cutting the ball back to Frank Nouble, who returned the ball to the former Peterborough man in an offside position when he might have looked goalwards himself.

The Teessiders, without a goal in their last seven games, went closer in the fourth minute when Graham laid the ball back to Taylor’s former Posh team-mate Lee Tomlin, who shot just wide from the 18-yard line.

Boro probably should have gone in front in the 12th minute when Emmanuel Ledesma’s freekick from the right fell to Friend, who blazed over from 10 yards when he ought to have done better. Four minutes later the former Doncaster left-back cut in and crossed but Graham headed well over.

Friend was proving to be the home side’s biggest danger early on and on 20 he again cut in from the left between Luke Chambers and Christophe Berra but smashed his shot high and wide.

Carayol, a scorer in last year’s corresponding fixture, hit a low strike which Gerken tipped wide in the 21st minute, although the ball appeared to be going past the post in any case.

The Teessiders continued present the greater threat and in the 26th minute Berra did well to get back to stab the ball away from Graham with the striker through behind the Blues’ backline.

Taylor almost put Town in front in the 28th minute after a speculative Daryl Murphy shot had deflected to him on the right of the area. The Liverpudlian curled a shot just over with the outside of his right boot and clearly thought he should have been celebrating his second goal of the season.

Two minutes later, the home side went ahead via their first goal in 12 hours and 14 minutes of football. Gerken couldn’t hold on to Carayol’s low shot to his left and Graham was quickest to react to stab home his first goal since returning to Boro from six yards.

The impetus was very much with the home side after the goal, Carayol making a couple of strong runs down the left, Cresswell first turning the ball to Gerken from close range ahead of Nathaniel Chalobah, before the Blues keeper challenged the winger as he looked to cut the ball back from a tight angle on the left.

As half-time approached, Boro continued to look the more threatening side, Ledesma seeing a 30-yard volley deflect wide after a corner had been cleared to him.

Soon after the fourth official had raised his board, the Teessiders increased their lead. Ex-Town skipper Leadbitter sent over a corner from the left and Graham got in front of Berra at the near post to flick a header across Gerken and into the net.

Boro were well worth their lead at the break, having controlled the game for the most part, creating the vast majority of the chances.

However, the half may well have panned out very differently had Taylor taken his chance shortly before Graham ended his side’s long wait for a goal.

McCarthy switched Luke Hyam for Nouble ahead of the restart with Paul Green moving to the right in a 4-4-2 formation.

Seven minutes after being introduced, Hyam was booked for a foul on Carayol in front of the technical area.

Green did well to turn Carayol’s cross from the right behind ahead of Chalobah in the 58th minute after the winger had got round the outside of Chambers on the Boro right as they broke after Town’s first corner of the afternoon.

A minute later, Cresswell shot well wide from a freekick 30 yards out after Green had been fouled by Ledesma. Soon after, Green scuffed a similarly wayward effort when well placed just outside the box.

Berra required treatment for a knee problem following a solid challenge with Friend, then in the 66th minute Murphy struck Town’s first shot on target but his effort on the turn was easy for Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos.

Three minutes later, McCarthy swapped Taylor, who had worked hard but without having the same impact on the game that he did a week ago, for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Moments later, Ledesma was booked for dissent, then Chambers joined him in the referee’s book for a foul on Carayol, who he pulled back after he had got away from him as the home side broke after a Town corner.

New loanee Jonny Williams was handed his Blues debut in place of Tabb 18 minutes from the end, while Boro switched goalscorer Graham for Kei Kamara.

Town, who were continuing to give the ball away cheaply as they had all afternoon, weren’t looking particularly likely to pull a goal back, while the home side didn’t appear to be overly concerned about adding a third.

Chambers blocked Boro sub Kamara’s shot in the 79th minute before the outstanding Carayol was replaced by Curtis Main to a warm ovation from the home fans.

Smith headed Cresswell’s left-sided corner well over with six minutes remaining, then in injury time Green curled a shot just wide after being found in space in the area by Cole Skuse.

Boro sub Main might have made it 3-0 soon afterwards, but diverted Kamara’s low cross from the right into the side-netting.

Berra forced Konstantopoulos into his most significant save of the afternoon in the final minute of injury time. Williams chipped a cross from the right, Berra nodded goalwards at the far post and the Greek keeper palmed the ball over.

But a Town revival never really looked on the cards. The home side had been deservedly in front at the break and their lead never looked under any serious threat in the second half.

The Blues were lacklustre throughout, giving the ball away far too easily and — aside from Taylor’s first half chance — creating little until the closing stages.

Town remain ninth still four points from sixth ahead of Tuesday’s trip to relegation-threatened Yeovil, who beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at home today.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Gibson, Chalobah, Varga, Carayol (Main 80), Leadbitter (c), Friend, Tomlin (Butterfield 77), Graham (Kamara 72), Omeruo, Ledesma. Subs: Steele, Williams L, Atkinson, Morris.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Cresswell, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Tabb (Williams 72), Green, Taylor (Ebanks-Blake 69), Murphy, Nouble (Hyam 46). Subs: Loach, Anderson, Hunt, Mings, Williams. Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire). Att: 13,965 (Town: 450).

Photo: Action Images

whosroundisitanyway added 17:40 - Mar 8 So everybody. Paul Taylor is the answer??????? Think again.
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Seasider added 17:41 - Mar 8 Surprise surprise Middlesbrough who havn't scored for 12 hours won comfortably,with Graham doubling his tally for the last year I believe? As soon as Jay Tabbs name was mentioned I groaned and used a few expletives,and said to the wife that they wont win this game. What a chance to go and attack and go for the 6th place, but no, same team who failed to look interested in the play offs and failed to test the Greek goalkeeper ,not having a save to make until three quarters of match completed. Mick Mc Carthy supposed to be a motivator but did not appear to do that today,and why after Ipswich were 2.0 down did he bring a defensive midfielder on and take a forward off,when why not Anderson to help out on the right;as Chambers had a 'mare? Boro had pace and skill which we seem to still lack,and have not yet had a proper right back since David Wright,although we do have two out on loan. We have several ordinary players including Green Nouble and the aforementioned Tabb,who are just good enough to make an impact at this level. I am sorry to be so negative;but It is so frustrating as results went for Ipswich today and they couldn't take advantage!

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StochesStotasBlewe added 17:43 - Mar 8 Tabby was first class, Danny Graham is a world class striker. "Boro are a quality team, I,ts a bloody long journey up there, We had to change our shape & selections to negate their game plan. I can,t wait to hear micks excuses today. I can give you one mate, your team selections are crap.
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bring_back_Wickham added 17:44 - Mar 8 Shocking. Truly shocking. Play-offs seem very distant now.
4

ipswichmull added 17:45 - Mar 8 everyone say mick out can shut up . were 9th or 10th compared to last year . he might of got the tacticts wrong for this match but we just need to move on and forget about it . everyone is expecting so much for this season but forgetting about how much funds we got , so come on and back the town COYB
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runaround added 17:46 - Mar 8 A very poor result & performance. 94 minutes until we force their keeper into a meaningful save says it all. Tactics all wrong today & we made it easy for a team without a win or goal in ages. Edmund Hiliary Gerken in goal makes a howler in goal that costs us the game yet seems undroppable. Prematch talk from club about going into the Wigan game in the hunt is a joke & if they play like today we will be hammered. Play off contenders? Having a laugh after a result/performance like today. Still going to Yeovil on Tuesday but looking forward to the terracing more than the match now as I'm sure we will play for a nil nil as usual & probably fail. This summer is massive for MM's time at ITFC, can he address the obvious missing pace, forward running & lack of forward passing in our midfield? If he can then this season of consolidation is worth it. If not, more negativity playing for draws with likes of Tabb, Skuse, Green & Hyam being preferred to attacking options like Hunt & Williams in games we need to win,will be soul destroying, if that's all this club can achieve at this level, then that really is a shame

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richard added 17:47 - Mar 8 What's the excuse this week.Oh sorry we were up against Barcelonaesque opponents again.
7

theobald1985 added 17:49 - Mar 8 boring boring mick mcarthy we dont even try and win sometimes its getting beyond the joke mick is well past his sell by date and he is playing embarrassing defensive ugly football. tabb and nouble are awful yet every game he says he thought they did well. he needs to retire as he is not cut out for the modern game and im finding myself longing for the joe royal days

11

LiamCP123 added 17:52 - Mar 8 Omg we lost a game. Lets all be retarded and say 'Mick out'.
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blueboy1981 added 17:53 - Mar 8 ......... silly me - forgot. Boro' is a mile and a half further than the reasonable travel zone, so that explains why we didn't have a shot until the 94th minute, and lost the game. !!!! That's probably as good as any excuse I guess.
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smithy91 added 17:55 - Mar 8 Once again seems like we feel sorry for the opposition on a poor run and just gift them goals- seems like we just rolled over today without a fight! Once again poor team selections- e.g Jay Tabb in front of Williams/Hyam, Nouble instead of Blake, no Hunt or Anderson again- just no attacking intent in the midfield selection again. I usually give a balanced view of things but finding it hard to get a positive out of todays 'performance'

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Seasider added 18:02 - Mar 8 I meant to say earlier that Green,Nouble and Tabb are just NOT good enough to make impact at this level. Also Skuse seems frightened to shoot and fellow mid-fielder Hyam doesn't seem to know what to do whe he gets in final third. Oh dear!!!
10

bluemikey100 added 18:02 - Mar 8 players tired aftere long journey god help the next match then lol
3

byleso1 added 18:11 - Mar 8 YAWN!!!. Lol hope we go down
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roytheboy added 18:13 - Mar 8 Predictable and boring, like many others I am losing heart rapidly with this club, Mick needs to take a good hard look at what is wrong with the way we play football, it is generally not very productive or entertaining, in fact it is at times pitiful, roll on better times COYB
6

MattinLondon added 18:16 - Mar 8 Sometimes I feel sorry for myself for travelling to games from London but I have nothing compared to sindres who comes from Norway. Remarkable considering how rubbish we are.
2

northernblues added 18:23 - Mar 8 Ipswichmul,check out our games played and points gained to last season, no difference and we were bottom!
1

Surco72 added 18:24 - Mar 8 If Tabb and Nouble are so good to get selected every week why do you always take them off ? And anyone saying we have improved and don't get stuffed anymore its because at 2-0 down at half time MM brings on a defensive to try and prevent more rather than actually giving it go to get back in the game , gutless boring team happy to take the defeat as long as it is not by too many . Whats the point of getting loan players in to strengthen if you don't play them ?

13

JWM added 18:29 - Mar 8 McCarthy OUT He is taking us down!
0

corunnaviking1759 added 18:29 - Mar 8 Shocking game for Town, 1 shot on target and that was a LAME effort from Murphy!!!! Glad I did not have travel up from Suffolk, onlyCatterick for that load of sh*te!!!!! Ans yes what on earth was that half time change about, no real strike force, why do I keep going to watch Ipswich!!!!?
2

unknown100 added 18:30 - Mar 8 I know McCarthy says do you want sexy football or results, I'd rather try and play good football as if you are playing well but need better players they eventually come in on loan or a youth player or someone steps up but you don't get or survive in the premiership by playing ugly, I always think you can tell how good a team is by the quality of their goals and franking ours have been scrappy 6 yard goals or mistakes, got a long long way to go to deserve play offs

5

warwickblue added 18:36 - Mar 8 Terrible performance, terrible result. So frustrating that we can simply never seem to press home any slight advantage that we might have. Boro were there to be beaten and we set-up for a 0-0 away point from the start.
6

brittaniaman added 18:36 - Mar 8 MM says they take there IPads on the Coach ?? Well they have got some reading on the way home now ! if they dare venture on to this site.. Happy with a draw hey MM ?? So what happened today then MM ???? I am sure we were playing better this time last year,, because from Boxing Day we have been Poor this session ?? 2 nominations for manager of the months up to Christmas, since then MM Zero, what has happened ??? hope you are all reading these comments on the Coach home !! and get your Tactic book out again.

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thebeat added 18:42 - Mar 8 Same old same old.bored of it now. 3 reasons why we lost today and they were all there before the game even kicked off: 1: 3 count them 3 defensive minded midfielders including Tabb and Green who simply arent good enough at this level. 2: Chambers is not a right back, ripped apart again today. 3: Of the 3 strikers in this "so called attacking 4-3-3 we are playing" ( newsflash mick 4-3-3's not attacking if they have no supply) one of said strikers is Frank "Ali Dia in disguise" Nouble. I rest my case.

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oddball added 18:48 - Mar 8 Seriously over the top reaction again from a loss. Not an easy game and we under performed, its football it happens. People calling for mm head, silly. He goes, someone else comes in and it starts all over again. It aint easy getting out of this division, some people too desperate for promotion in my view. Support the team with constructive points not negative slating all the time. COYB?

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