Town’s hopes of winning automatic promotion would appear to hang by a thread after they were defeated 4-1 at Middlesbrough. Boro went in front through Daniel Ayala in the fourth minute in an incident which saw Blues keeper Dean Gerken stretchered off, Daryl Murphy equalised with his 23rd goal of the season on 11 and Albert Adomah restored the Teessiders’ lead on the half hour, before Patrick Bamford sealed the victory after the break with goals on 64 and 79.

Teddy Bishop replaced Richard Chaplow in an otherwise unchanged Town side with the on-loan Millwall man dropping to the bench.

Bishop started in the centre of midfield with Jay Tabb moving to the left and Jonny Parr to the right.

Gerken, whose wife gave birth yesterday, continued in goal with Bartosz Bialkowski on the bench with Paddy Kenny also having made the trip.

Kevin Bru was back on amongst the subs after his knee injury, while Stephen Hunt travelled having recovered from his hamstring problem but was not in the 18. David McGoldrick remained in Suffolk but is likely to be in the squad for the home game against Bolton on Tuesday.

Boro were the first to threaten in the third minute when Daniel Ayala chipped a quick freekick behind the Blues’ backline to Adam Reach, but skipper Luke Chambers did superbly to get back to stab the ball away from the midfielder. Referee Mike Jones waved away Boro claims for a penalty.

But from the resultant corner on the left, the home side went in front. The flag-kick was played short to Adam Clayton, who sent the ball over and former Norwich man Ayala headed home.

As Ayala scored, Blues keeper Gerken clashed heads with George Friend and Christophe Berra and required seven minutes of treatment on the pitch before eventually being carried off on a stretcher with his neck in his brace while being administered oxygen. Bartosz Bialkowski took over in goal.

Before Gerken had made it to the tunnel, the Blues were on terms. Tyrone Mings’s header found Parr midway inside the Boro half and the Norwegian turned and brought the ball forward before hitting a powerful shot to Dimi Konstantopoulos’s left.

The keeper got across to save but parried the ball back towards the centre of his goal, from where Murphy stabbed his 23rd goal of the season into the roof of the net.

It had been a remarkable start to the game with Town’s goal having come only 26 seconds of actual playing time after Boro’s.

The Blues were a whisker from going in front in the 21st minute when Tabb cut the ball back from the left and it fell to Murphy, who hit a powerful strike on the turn which struck Freddie Sears before trickling onto the post and into Konstantopoulos’s arms.

After Jonathan Woodgate had replaced goalscorer Ayala - who had been a pre-match doubt with a thigh injury - Cole Skuse smashed a low shot which was deflected wide. From Tabb’s left-sided corner, Murphy headed over.

Tommy Smith picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on Tomas Kalas in the 28th minute, Chambers heading clear former Blues skipper Grant Leadbitter’s lofted freekick.

But two minutes later the home side were back in front. After a well-worked corner on the left, the ball eventually found Adomah on the edge of the box and, as Mings sought to close him down, the Ghanaian international hit a low strike which caught Berra on its way past Bialkowski and into the net.

Bishop’s 33rd minute strike was claimed comfortably by Konstantopoulos, then three minutes later Murphy headed another Tabb corner from the left over the bar.

Town threatened again on 39 from another Tabb left-sided flag-kick. After Mings had failed to get enough on his header, Berra returned the ball from the right and Sears’s hooked effort was blocked.

As the half moved into its final five minutes Adomah shot over from the Boro left, then Bishop screwed an effort wide from the edge of the area after another Blues corner, again on the left.

Town continued to look the more threatening side. With a minute of scheduled first-half time remaining Bishop skipped across the Boro area but saw his effort snuffed out, then Sears following up had his strike blocked.

As the half moved into eight minutes of injury time Bishop was shown his first senior yellow card for catching Friend as they challenged for an aerial ball.

The second of two Bishop corners from the right culminated in Berra’s over-head kick running through to Konstantopoulos, then Patrick Bamford claimed a penalty when challenged by Berra but referee Jones waved away his lengthy protests. Replays suggested the on-loan Chelsea man had a good case.

Just before the whistle finally came, Adomah hit a shot on the turn which was blocked by Mings.

On the balance of the half Town shouldn’t have been behind having been on top for the most part. However, after failing to defend Boro’s only two corners, they could hardly complain about the scoreline.

Having gone behind to Ayala’s goal and lost Gerken to his injury, the Blues reacted well, although Konstantopoulos will feel he ought to have done better with Parr’s shot which led to Murphy’s goal.

After conceding the second goal, the Blues had looked the more likely scorers, although without creating any clear-cut opportunities.

The Blues started the second half on the front, Mings over-hitting an early cross from the left beyond Murphy.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 53rd minute when Reach almost profited from a moment of hesitation between Bialkowski and Chambers but the Boro man was adjudged to have used his hand and his shot had in any case been blocked.

Middlesbrough centre-half Ben Gibson was booked for pulling back Murphy as the Town scorer turned and took the ball away from him in the 55th minute. Sears curled the resultant 25-yard freekick well wide.

The first quarter of an hour had been much the same as the end of the first period with the Blues on top but without creating anything significant, however, on 64 the home side increased their lead.

After a Town ball forward had been cleared and hooked on by Leadbitter, Jelle Vossen deftly sent Bamford away behind the Blues’ backline. The England U21 kept his cool and dummied his way past Bialkowski before tapping the ball into the net.

After Boro had switched Adam Forshaw for Vossen, Chris Wood took over from Tabb for the Blues.

On 73 Reach was booked for a late tackle on Bishop, then two minutes later Clayton hit an effort from distance which flew over.

Bishop played a shot corner on the right to Parr on 78 but the Norwegian’s shot was blocked.

With 11 minutes left on the clock Boro’s fourth goal sealed the result. Bamford dummied a long ball and broke away from Smith before hitting a low shot across Bialkowski and into the net to make it 4-1.

Town were by now looking shellshocked and Adomah wasn’t far from making it 5-1 with a shot from the left which flew wide. At the other end, Murphy cut the ball back to Sears from the right but the former Colchester man diverted it against a defender and behind.

Bamford should have made it five and completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute when Adomah brought the ball forward from halfway and fed him to his left, but the Chelsea loanee shot over.

Luke Varney, who had replaced Bishop for the final six minutes, headed wide from Murphy’s cross from the right, then at the other end Boro sub Forshaw ought to have done better with an Adomah cross, but headed well wide.

As the match moved into three minutes of additional time, Bamford smashed high and wide. Not long afterwards referee Jones put the Blues out of their misery.

Despite the eventual scoreline, the Blues had been in the game up until the hour mark having had a fair amount of the ball, albeit without creating anything which would have tested Konstantopoulos. Town failed to seriously threaten from their 13 corners while Boro scored their first two goals from their total of three.

Bamford’s first goal all but settled the game, the fourth added some gloss and in the end the home side might have won by even more having had plenty of chances in the final minutes with the Blues looking uncharacteristically dishevelled.

It was little consolation that Murphy, who was watched by Ireland assistant manager and former Blues boss Roy Keane, became the first Town player to score more than 22 league goals in a season since Ray Crawford in 1962/63.

The Blues are now eight points behind Boro, who move to the top, with the rest of the challengers in action later this afternoon. Town’s chances of returning to the Premier League after a 13-year absence would now appear to be reliant on winning the play-offs.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Ayala (Woodgate 24), Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter (Nsue 88) (c), Clayton, Adomah, Reach, Bamford, Vossen (Forshaw 68). Unused: Ripley, Whitehead, Tomlin, Kike.

Town: Gerken (Bialkowski 10), Chambers (c), Mings, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Bishop (Varney 84), Parr, Tabb (Wood 69), Murphy, Sears. Unused: Clarke, Anderson, Chaplow, Bru. Referee: Mike Jones (Chester). Attendance: 18,909 (Town: 444).

Photo: Action Images

TimmyH added 15:19 - Mar 14 Watching our season crumbling away... Let's be honest Boro weren't even that good and to score 4 goals you would have thought they were. Probably our worst defensive performance of the season and can categorically state that none of the back 4 had a good game, fully expect Mick to drop both Smith and Mings for the next game. Midfield was ok but no killer punch, pace or creativity particularly out on the wings. (where's the quality loan midfield signing?) Mick was brought in as manager to organize and keep a tight defense after the shambles of PJ and the dark lord (probably our bad luck omen today) and he did superbly well in his first half season but what has happened this year when we have made so much progression? 1 clean sheet since December 31st in that drab home 0-0 to Wigan!! and a record of W:4 D:2 L:7 - No where near good enough to keep us up with the front runners let alone the play-offs. Whole sale changes need to be made at the Bolton game - if Mick doesn't make the changes a lot on here have been touting (round pegs in round holes) you have to wonder if there is some sort of orders from above...either that or Mick is one stubborn son of a bi*ch!!

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NorwichBlue138 added 15:20 - Mar 14 Sadly all too inevitable today. Really need to buy an out and out winger, or at least give Stewart or Henshall a go as something different. Think the criticism levelled at Tabb and Smith has been unfair, but agree Tommy certainly wasn't at his best, particularly for the last goal. Would drop Mings, Smith and Tabb. Play 4-3-3 like we did so successfully earlier in the year on Tuesday and give Bolton something to consider...

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brittaniaman added 15:21 - Mar 14 Just heard Brenner Woolley interview MM. BW .was pathetic with his questions, talk about Patronising MM. after a hammering like that ??? Still cannot see any changes for Tues. the way stubborn Mick spoke ,, will probably set out the same stall again, play offs are getting further away now ?? ITFC are the longest Members of the Championship club..
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airliner added 15:22 - Mar 14 Sum this up a manager who has run out of ideas and no investment from the managing directors you have made us a laughing stock, this team is not capable of winning promotion. It's not mm s fault it comes from the top mm and his directors , this must be a tax loss club.
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cornishblu added 15:23 - Mar 14 Congratulations to the 444 who traveled showing great support for their club.....disappointingly served up with yet another tepid display . MM ...showing a stubborn side that is making many scratch their heads Didz can't come back soon enough in order to give us other options while on the pitch ...are we out of it..on paper no...but if we continue to play like this...and we have now for a while...then absolutely out of it. Don't quite get however why supporters think that mm has taken this team as far as he can.....I would challenge anyone to name one manager who, with the funds we don't have, could have ...or more to the point , could do any better......he is dealing with a legacy of wasted millions and an owner now who is unsurprisingly hesitant to open the purse strings again...Financial fair play, if ever fully imposed, will be the leveller but can't help but think that it will take a few years before we can see that all clubs are on a level playing field . ....we don't fully trust MM at the moment but can't think of anyone else who could have done a better job......we may just need just to think that whilst improving we have too many average championship players, 13 desolate years in the championship have taken their toll ...rebuilding will take longer than we had hoped!!...but the point is we are rebuilding !!!!!!!!!!

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Lightningboy added 15:27 - Mar 14 Srange game..can't understand how we were losing at half-time (yes I can - piss poor defending again). Thought Tabb,Mings and Smith were dreadful today..the lack of concentration at the back is what's cost us since the turn of the year. Smith's confidence is shot to pieces and Mick needs to see this - will someone at the next press conference have the balls to point this out to him - Chambers needs moving to the centre asap. Tabb runs around a lot but very rarely with or anywhere near the ball..his lack of quality is alarming. As for Mings - he looks like his first full season is finally catching up with him.

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spiegal added 15:27 - Mar 14 You can dress a PIG up in finery,lipstick and gloss...but at the end of the day it is still a PIG
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bluefeast added 15:28 - Mar 14 Fact Tabb played well vs Brentford in centre misd and today was played wide left.Absolutely a stupid manger decision..
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chepstowblue added 15:28 - Mar 14 For all but the last 20 minutes i felt we were the better side and was bemused as to how we were 2-1 down. By the end i saw a group of players that know that the season has all but gone. Schoolboy defending for the 1st 2 and Bart hopelessly rooted for the 4th and inbetween an incredibly nervous defensive display by a unit who look as sloppy now as they did superbly organised until 6 weeks ago. Hugely dependant on freaky results elsewhere and even then we have to conjure up a couple of big surprises ourselves.It seems that we've used up all our good fortune earlier in the season when winning games we had no right to. Very sombre feeling.Realism 3 optimism 0.

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algarvefan added 15:31 - Mar 14 Let's have a touch of honesty here, we have never been that good this season, we are a team of unwanted and misfits with a touch of youth thrown in. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear!! The team has done wonders on bugger all spending this season, I have been a big supporter of MM / TC but at the end of the day the responsibility for a performance starts and ends with our players and they simply have not been good enough since Christmas. I agree that tactically we are too easy to set up against, there are no surprises and Smith again today was awful. so where do we go from here, keep this losing streak going or ring the changes? I know what I would do but then I'm not MM.....but then again he hasn't been given much choice by a club that refused to invest any money in new talent I'm afraid that's it our season is over for me :(

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Elizabeth added 15:37 - Mar 14 Lets face it, we have over achieved to be in the position we are currently in. Jonny Parr was trying to get things going but there was no conviction from certain other individuals. However I think the score line is flattering with the amount of possession we had but we did very little with ball. It's just got worse! Norwich are winning. Really can't wait for the season to end now. It's all fallen apart at the worst possible time ! I guess 100,000 v 30 million should show some differences. COME ON DERBY !!!

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lonelyblue added 15:40 - Mar 14 Much more depressing than the result today is the way that a whole stack of you lot just can't wait to put the boot in. MM signed a three year contract which leads me to believe he had a three year plan, a bit like Burley and Sheepy's five year plan. I think we've made tremendous progress this year, and I genuinely would like to thank the owner, management and players. I'll continue to support my club by supporting it. I'm sick of the self-righteous, pompous glee with which some of you "fans" attack this football team, and I'm really not going to be reading your comments anymore, so say what you like. I'll still read the stories though, TWTD is great editorially, thank you very much.

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gino88 added 15:47 - Mar 14 What an absolute shocker from the whole Ipswich defence. It does not take a genius to see that Luke Chambers is quite possibly worse than Drissa Diallo was at right back. He is a RIGHT FOOTED centre back who should be playing alongside Berra. That brings me to the calamity Kiwi Tommy Smith who made Patrick Bamford look like Lionel Messi!! His anticipation is shambolic, he cannot pass a ball 5 yards, and ever since he made the mistake against Derby, his confidence has just depleted. My main disappointment in the second half of the season is Tyrone Mings. Where has that pace gone bombing forward? His crossing is so poor, and as for his defensive abilities, non existent!! We must build the team around Teddy Bishop. He has flair, confidence on the ball and the ability to push us on to the next level, as long as MM actually plays him consistently. Why is Jay Tabb always in the team when he gets bullied off the ball each game?? Why does he persist with Cole Skuse who provides limited assists and is a banker for getting 0 goals each season. The sooner we can test our quality with McGoldrick just behind Murphy and Sears, the better for us! The problem is we will continue to struggle if McCarty continues to be stubborn and narrow minded. He is guilty this season of having favourites, and is failing to see or believe what is wrong with the team- 3 centre backs in a back four does not work! If he loves the 3 of them that much, he needs to adapt his formation to a 3-5-2, and play Mings and Parr as wing backs. Bolton on Tuesday is a must-win game. Watford away becomes a must not lose game next Saturday. If we can get to the Bournemouth game with 4 points out of those two games, we give ourselves a chance of getting in the play offs. Our only saving grace is other teams around us playing one another. It is about time Mick swallowed his pride, dumped Smith, and picked players in their right positions.

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bostonusablue added 15:49 - Mar 14 Let's be clear, we are not even going to make the play-offs which is a disgrace considering where we were at the start of the year. Our capitulation is down to the manager and no one else. His team selections and tactics are terrible (wait for all of the MM knows what he's doing and you don't fans) and his signings have been worse. How can teams like Middlesboro attract exciting, skillful, fast players like Bamford (he made Smith look like an idiot with that dummy) from Chelsea which is way closer to Town?? What do we get to make us better? Varney, Wood, Hunt and Chaplow. Nothing else needs to be said.

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bluefeast added 15:49 - Mar 14 LonelyBlue. You are indeed lonely with your views, if we were fighting a relegation battle this season we would go down as we are what we are every match. Blackpools form in 2015 has been terrible , but they are the only side below us in the 2015 form charts. Thats a lot of games to continue with the same square pegs in round holes. What i would love to see is the media ask the same questions of MM that we all ask of each other ,ie square pegs round holes. Vs Brentford Tabb in the centre was great ,so today he puts him wide left and he was terrible ,not Tabbs fault ,thats MMS FAULT AND Bad management.

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Bob7881 added 15:53 - Mar 14 algarvefan i agree with your comments but MM has to take a lot of the blame he sets the team up to play. We havent got one premier league player in the squad. This season has been about luck and murphy having the season of his career. I would ask any true Town supporter for a moment to take off the blue specs and tell me the football they are served up weekin weekout isnt dross. Sir Bobby must be looking down and thinking what has this lot done to his baby. I just want to be entertained the clue is in the name football not head tennis.

5

skinnyman27 added 15:53 - Mar 14 chill, fans, its only a game of football at the end of the day. look foward to going home to your familys and enjoying your life. sure it sucks but get perspective on life. i know it hurts i have been going non stop since i was 4, but hey thats life sometimes you win sometimes you loose. whatever happens i have had a lot of enjoyment this season and hope we keep mock and tc and carry our journey on. up the town coyb !!!

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BlueArmy01 added 15:53 - Mar 14 lonelyblue why comment if your not going to read any answers..........i smell someone needy
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MHS added 15:58 - Mar 14 Frustrated, very frustrated. Very strong first half performance but silly mistakes have cost us. I've suggested, like many, that Smith is dropped and Parr brought back in at RB but I don't see this happening purely because its so late on in the season and Parr is probably our best 'winger' atm. Sears looked quiet today, hoping we'll see Mcgoldrick Tues night as another option is needed. I believe Wood is a better player than the Sammon type (i.e. bring him on with 10 mins to go and lump it up to him) but that's the way it seems we'll be using him. Just to add how good Teddy Bish was today, different class. Praying he stays for next season if we don't make the play offs this time round. We look such a better team with him, Skuse looks more comfortable on the ball knowing he has someone next to him like Bish. Despite Murphys age and the possibility of losing one or two I believe we're building a good squad to have another go next season. Contrary to popular belief, our season is NOT over. Perhaps if more people got down to PR Tuesday evening we'd stand a chance. Compared to the top teams we cant compete in squad depth and we've been playing above ourselves for some time - but I believe on our day we can compete with anyone and today could have gone completely different.

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BlueTown23 added 16:02 - Mar 14 Some fans shouting to spend money on wingers that play wide.....thought we had 2 already! What's happened to Henshall......Stewart?!
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EssexTractor added 16:04 - Mar 14 Realism now. Forget Top two, ( maybe) forget top five. So food for thought.... The question in realistic terms is this, can we finish 6 th on 2 May? Is it between us and Brentford who will be 4 pts ahead by 5.00pm Their fixtures : Home to Millwall, Forest, Bolton and Wigan Away to Blackburn, Fulham, Derby, Sheffield W and Reading So I am trying to think glass half full.....for that shows it's not all over....not quite, not yet... (PS.. Trying not to look over shoulder at Wolves and Blackburn!)

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Bob7881 added 16:05 - Mar 14 Why do people think that a bumper crowd will change things it all went wrong when we played Southampton big crowd and still played crap.
2

Langdon_Blue added 16:06 - Mar 14 Stop messing around Evans...sack McCarthy, appoint Bluefeast as first team Manager and give him the 10k funds for signing players ready for the 15-16 promotion winning season...
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MickMillsTash added 16:09 - Mar 14 WAS NOT A 4-1 GAME We do not have enough quality without McGoldrick, they had Bamford and he is definitely a different class player at this level Like Berra but he needs to take more responsibility alongside Smith. MINGS needs a rocket - think he can still have a massive part for us in the run in Think we will win against Bolton, same team but Smith out Parr right back, someone small and who can run a lot in midfield- Give the ball to Bishop- MOM

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lonelyblue added 16:17 - Mar 14 Bluearmy. I cheated and read yours. I'm not at all needy, I'm very happy. What I meant was, I'm done with reading all this..well I described it well enough before. After today, I'm just going to stop reading the comments because, for every one that is well-considered, whether positive or critical, there are three or four which are, I'll repeat, self-righteous. I hear enough I'll-thought-out moaning every time I go to a game, I don't really need it after the match 'n all. So sorry if there was any confusion, and anybody can slag me off if they like, I don't mind at all. Have a nice day!

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