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

MHS added 16:21 - Mar 14 @Bob7881 think that may have been down to the fact that was against Southampton...
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essexbluey added 16:25 - Mar 14 Made the 500 mile round trip today and wont be home for a few hours yet. Unlike me to be critical but mick was like a wax work today he had no passion and he looked like he did not care.
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BlueArmy01 added 16:30 - Mar 14 haha knew you would be looking anyway back to the Football.........
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carsey added 16:31 - Mar 14 McCarthys intransigence and stubbornness has cost us a top 2 place and could well cost us a playoff position. We must be able to do better than this with the talent we have at the club. At least if we failed trying we would have to accept it. Tuesday night will be the same again
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MrBloo added 16:37 - Mar 14 Please, Smith is seen as a liability because he is being played out of position, the same as our other liability Chambers is. if you played them where they are comfortable/effective, then neither are liabilities. So come on, stop all this nonsense. Mick is the liability because of his stubbornness. What is he trying to prove?
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Taricco_Fan added 16:39 - Mar 14 We had a good run but our form in 2015 is quite simply our level of performance reverting to the mean. This IS where we are as a club: an average set of journeymen players and a pragmatic, unadventurous manager playing his trademark style of direct, physical football. This should be no surprise to anyone. Hopes of automatic promotion - maybe promotion at all - were unrealistic when you sit back and take stock of how poor our squad and style of football is. Daryl Murphy's goals have carried us this season but there isn't much going on behind him. I hope we can make the play-offs, I really do, but I'm not kidding myself that we are anything more than a mid-table team assembled on a shoestring.

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billlm added 16:43 - Mar 14 Mm your not a mans manager cant make a descion should have droooedsmith 12 matches ago you gave us hope and pulled the rug useless manager
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titanicclown added 16:45 - Mar 14 Yes Tommy Smith is awful - obviously! However theres a bigger problem. MM has played 442 nearly all season but hes yet to start a game with an attacking winger. Its really very strange as any 442 needs attacking options wide. I thought Skuse and Bishop won the centre of the park today but because theyve no wingers to pass to we go nowhere. How many times does Tabb get into great positions and we fail to create. Not his fault hes not a winger. 442 with no wingers is mental!!

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bluesince84 added 16:48 - Mar 14 Right my turn....... The definition of insanity, doing the same things over and over and over and over and over and over again expecting a different result. I think others on here have said it so wont rehash the obvious. The most critically important thing that will now happen is who goes on the pitch on tuesday and do you know whats gona happen. Mings will start, Tabb will start, smith will be in the middle and berra and anderson played out of position. It doesnt matter what happened today because the same god dam team with the same god dam formation will be out on tuesday. MM i thankyou for what youve done, time to leave sir.

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papashango87 added 16:53 - Mar 14 God theres some idiots on here. You actually think a new manager coming in is going to be the answer. We are gradually improving each season. Slow progress but progress none the less. Changing a manager regularly is pointless. obviously the majority of idiots on here could do a better job I'm sure The really frustrating thing is if we had won today you'd have been all over MM again singing his praises, either support the club and all in it or f**k off.

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BlueMachines added 16:53 - Mar 14 @cornishblu. Yes MM has done a great job without spending much money at all. But that is not why people are so Pi**ed off. It's his inability/refusal to get the best out of what he does have. It's sheer blo*dy stupidity on his part. Not great management. Wake up mate. Why not try something different if its not working? I read on here a while back posted by someone a very good point. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. In one word. BONKERS!!

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bluesince84 added 16:56 - Mar 14 even if we reach the playoffs, exactly what the hell do we think is going to happen. It will blow MM mind as he cant play for a point, he literally wont know what to do. What team exactly are we going to beat twice? anyone name the team???????? i dare you
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billlm added 16:58 - Mar 14 Bluenachines spot on
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SickParrot added 17:01 - Mar 14 Thanks Mick for another embarrassing defeat on Sky TV. We had loads of possession, worked really hard (as usual) and had many more attempts at goal but, yet again, we lacked the necessary quality to actually win the game. It is now time for Mick to justify his team selections and substitutions. Why is Chambers still playing at full-back? Why is a totally left footed and error ridden Smith still playing as our right-sided centre back? Why is Mings still playing when he is so out of form? Why is our best full back, Parr, playing in midfield? Why has he signed 3 wingers that we never see? Why does Tabb play every game? Why can Bishop (who was our best player today) never play for 90 minutes? He should also clarify whether he actually tried to persuade Evans to spend money on quality reinforcements in the January window instead of relying on the usual unwanted and unfit emergency loans. We were (some how) second in the division at xmas, with a realistic chance of promotion if we started putting players in their best position and added some quality and goals to the midfield, but cheapskate Evans and stubborn old Mick have blown it.

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billlm added 17:06 - Mar 14 Sickparrot one hundred per cent spot on thank you
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Wigster added 17:14 - Mar 14 On the flip side we still have a chance to grab 6th place. My late dear friend & work colleague Kempy would have been so chuffed to have been following town on a " promotion campaign" With all the drama highs & lows as opposed to just lows . he was chuffed in McCarthy in a manager that put round pegs in round holes , recognising Carlos Edwards wasn't a right back was the first step . So why then get lost playing your skipper & centre half there . Round pegs in square holes is not hard to spot ! Tommy smith needs a " rest " for sure. It's an easy game when your watching & managers we are all are . 9 games to go & a point off 6th , cheers Derby & Cardiff for brightening the day :) always blue !!

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kidsurello added 17:29 - Mar 14 Forget the same old "look where we were before mick came", forget that crap, we are/were challenging at the top of the championship! Not at the bottom anymore, so are expectations are better. Just because we were low before doesn't mean we should be happy with anything above mediocre now. We're now better than mediocre, have better players than mediocre, and if mick wont kick us on to the next level by not changing things, stubborn team selection, stubborn formation, picking his best mates, horrible hoofball. Then it's time to get someone else in who will **cough**Mark Warburton**cough**

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pastystringbean added 17:29 - Mar 14 I personally thank Mr Mcarthy for saving us from the drop, he will forever be a giant northern monster of a man for that, but watching the town for the last few weeks has been like sticking a fork in my eye. It's time to say lets just go for it, reignite the passion with the crowd, get us behind the team, balls out footy to enjoy, if we make it, well then that's lovely, if we don't then at least we entertained. I think I know what's going to happen but COYB anyway!

4

StochesStotasBlewe added 17:30 - Mar 14 Probably season nearly finished now. If we somehow get in the play off places in 6th, who could any one realistically see us beating?. All the teams in the top 5 are far superior in terms of ability than we are & today just confirmed that. Until MM plays round pegs in round holes, we will stay were we are now at best. Brentfords run in, on paper at least, is far easier than ours, & unless one or more teams above us has a catastrophic collapse of form, I,m afraid the season will be another frustrating one. I could have spent today fishing in lovely surroundings instead of watching that 2nd half capitulation. Silly me.

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blueboy1981 added 17:48 - Mar 14 Oh Dear - more poo poo ............ same square pegs in round holes ..... ??? Michael, your one dimensional scheme has well and truly been found out - and in fairness, you haven't a clue how to rectify it. Manager limitations now seriously spring to mind.
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svendust added 17:58 - Mar 14 What the he'll has happpened to Mings!? Since Dec he looks like he's playing in his slippers! Lost his man for the first goal, didn't block the shot for the second and a succession of ridiculously bad crosses. Smith got done by a good footballer again. He only seems to play well in the typical championship game. Any sign of intelligence from the opposition and he's on his arsenal watching the ball go in the net. Absolutely no creativity from the midfield. We've got some of the best strikers in the division but we may as well have Sam Parkin up front with this midfield. Tabb had a chance to run at the defence one v one but went sideways!! We can't defend a set piece and look just as bad at attacking set pieces. Sign a decent RB Mick and drop Smith and Mings. Let the Bishop and Skuse partnership grow and bring back Anderson who created most of Murphy's goals at the start of the season.

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Seasider added 18:07 - Mar 14 bostonusablue:Bamford probably went to Boro on loan as their manager is a friend of Jose',and was his number two on the continent. Tabb not a left winger or Chambers a right back. Mings looks too big for his size tens,was at fault for not closing down their 2nd goal;and needs a rocket up his a..e which Mick said publicly about JET> Our Tommy not up to it at present and should be dropped. The greatest living Yorkshireman has been found out as teams play the return games in 2nd half of season.Town are so predictable in personnel and tactics that it easy for opposition Managers in pre match team talk.McCarthy also seems incapable now of making changes during a match as he once did,and the hoof ball continues,no wonder Freddie Sears had a poor game today! MM seems proud of 442 AND FOR SOME REASON DESPITE SUCCESS WITH 433 earlier in season has reverted to type this year. Please Mr McCarthy prove you are not a dinosaur by making changes on Tuesday both to formation and personnel.Find a place for Kevin Bru,Didsy if fit,also Stewart as looked okay to me when playing for u21's. I shall have to pray to Sir Bobby in heaven!!!

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StowTractorBoy added 18:15 - Mar 14 I was one of the 444 Town fans there today and have to pat on the back the lads at the rear of our section who backed the team to the end. Its a pity that some on here do not do the same instead of continually moaning about the Club, the owner, the Manager, the players etc. They all want to win as much as we do. We cannot win every game and it will always be like that. I, like most of our fans are bitterly disappointed at how we have fallen away but do you think MM and the players are not disappointed as well. Yes I admit there are problems and some of them are obvious but I find it incredible that MM who has achieved so much in so little time should be the subject of such criticism. How many really expected us to finish top two this season probably very few. How many expected play offs probably a fair number and that can still happen. We are not out of it yet so come on Town fans keep behind the team.

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BillBlue added 18:18 - Mar 14 Well I have waited to see the little man who has spent the whole season childishly belittling anyone who put forward a different viewpoint to his, I mean MM's Number One Fan for whom three weeks ago he said he would 'run through a brick wall for' as he had so much faith in him to put in an appearance and he has not the courtesy nor courage to turn up other than under his nom de plume on the first page saying the usual rubbish. Well little man I sincerely hope you learn something from this and as you have, on so many occasions, suggested that I and several other people depart this page I think it is my turn now to suggest it on your part but please do learn from this experience. For over two years I have been expressing the opinion that MM is not the man for this job and from reading your opinions today I see that a very high percentage now agree with me. I am truly sorry about this because Ipswich Town is very close to my heart and I do want, so much, for it to do well but, in saying that, I only want it to well by playing good football which worldwide was known as 'The Ipswich Way' and for any of you on here who are willing to accept less than that then, frankly, i do not want to know you.

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d0nk added 18:20 - Mar 14 What utter tosh most people are saying. We outplayed boro today, more possesion and more shots. Played the ball about better than them too. Their goals came mainly from mistakes and at the end we got caught out when we was going for it. Think yourself lucky you have a team because most of you don't deserve one
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