Early goals from Mo Besic and Stewart Downing saw Middlesbrough to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road. Besic netted the opener on 12 and Downing added the second four minutes later following an error from Blues skipper Luke Chambers with Town never looking like taking anything from the match.

Janoi Donacien and Jordan Graham returned to the Blues line-up for Matthew Pennington, who was suspended for one game following Saturday’s red card, and Gwion Edwards, who dropped to the bench.

Donacien came into the team at right-back with Graham on the left of midfield, while Grant Ward moved to the right. There was no place in the Middlesbrough 18 for ex-Blues skipper Grant Leadbitter.

Town saw plenty of the ball early on and passed it around but without getting into dangerous areas.

However, the visitors took their lead via their first serious attack in the 12th minute. Besic brought the ball forward from halfway unchallenged and hit a 25-yard strike which cannoned off Toto Nsiala, knocking the defender over.

The loose ball fell kindly for the Bosnian, giving him a free run at goal and he struck a low shot from the edge of the box past Dean Gerken to his right.

Four minutes later it was 2-0. Skipper Chambers played a loose pass from the edge of the box straight to Downing on the Middlesbrough right and the ex-England international cut into the area and hit a low shot which hit the net off Donacien, leading to brief boos from the Blues support.

Town set about trying to get back into a game which already looked lost but without creating anything until the 25th minute when a Ward cross caused brief hesitation in the Teessiders’ defence before the danger was averted.

Daniel Ayala was fortunate referee Andy Madley failed to spot his late, studs-up challenge on Cole Skuse in the 28th minute otherwise the former Canary might well have seen at least a yellow card.

Town failed to make much impression on a Boro side happy to sit back on their two-goal lead until the 42nd minute when Donacien crossed from the right and Jonas Knudsen looped a header over the bar at the far post.

Three minutes later, Trevoh Chalobah sent a low ball into the box from midway inside the Boro half on the right but no Blues player was able to get a touch before Boro keeper Darren Randolph claimed.

Ayala looped a header over the bar just before the whistle which was met by further boos from an understandably frustrated Portman Road crowd.

The Blues had gifted Boro their two-goal and subsequently looked to have little idea of how to break down a visiting team largely happy to sit back and hold on to their lead, presumably well aware of Town’s lack of attacking threat this season.

After such a lacklustre half, Paul Hurst’s side needed to dramatically up their game in the second half to maintain their unbeaten home record let alone end their long winless run.

It was little surprise that Hurst made changes ahead of the second half with Edwards and Freddie Sears replacing Graham and Jackson.

And Town should have pulled a goal back two minutes after the restart. Donacien whipped in a cross from the right and Ayala just did enough to force Jon Nolan to head across the goal and wide rather than into the net.

Two minutes later, Ward won the ball on halfway and fed Sears to his left. The former Colchester man took it on into the area before hitting a shot which flew not too far over with the Portman Road crowd beginning to get behind their side.

Town continued to have most of the ball but without being able to find a way past the Boro backline. However, on 59 Chalobah sent over a dangerous low ball from the right which bounced across the six-yard box but too far in front of Ward.

But it was the Teesiders who came close to scoring the game’s third goal on the hour mark, Skuse heading Ayala’s goal-bound header off the line before one-time Town target Jordan Hugill’s rebound was blocked.

Boro kept up the momentum with Hugill claiming he had been fouled by Donacien as a cross came in from the right, however, the striker looked to have made a lot of little contact as he wasn’t going to reach the ball.

Moments later, George Friend cut in and struck a shot across the face of goal, then soon after Hugill also shot wide.

The on-loan West Ham man was replaced by Britt Assombalonga seconds later, then on 69 Martin Braithwaite was swapped for Paddy McNair.

Town forced Randolph into his first save of the evening in the 72nd minute, and what a save it was. Edwards found his way blocked on the edge of the area and the ball was stabbed out to Chalobah, who struck a powerful low strike through a crowd of players which Randolph somehow got across to and palmed past the post.

With 14 minutes remaining Andre Dozzell was given his first taste of competitive first-team action under manager Hurst, the Portman Road crowd cheering the local boy’s introduction for Nolan.

Dozzell’s tidy passing was evident from the off and soon after his introduction he played a clever reverse ball into the path of Sears, who won a corner which eventually came to nothing.

Five minutes from the scheduled end, Chambers made a superb double challenge on Downing and then sub Sam McQueen as the pair broke into the Town area after the Blues had been dispossessed midway inside their own half.

On 87 Edwards smashed a powerful shot which looked to be on its way into net following a corner but his strike hit Nsiala and deflected harmlessly wide.

Late on, McNair sent over a dangerous ball for Boro which Assombalonga failed to get a touch on, then moments before the end Skuse nodded over.

The whistle was greeted by muted applause from the Blues support, Town having been better in the second half and having kept going throughout, despite it looking unlikely that they would get anything out of the game.

The Blues huffed and puffed but but lacked confidence and quality, only rarely - Nolan’s early header, Sears’s strike over soon afterwards and Chalobah’s effort saved by Randolph - looking like they might pull a goal back against a well-organised Boro team, who came closer to adding to their lead when Skuse nodded Ayala’s header off the line.

The match was effectively won in the first 16 minutes with the two poor goals which were gifted to the visitors with individual mistakes again playing a large part in the Blues’ downfall. Against a side with the quality and nous of Boro Town were never going to have a chance having given them a two-goal start.

The Blues’ winless run from the start of the season is now up to 11 in the Championship - plus the defeat at Exeter in the Carabao Cup - in addition to the final day of last campaign draw with Boro.

Town’s first home defeat of the season sees them drop back to 23rd in the table ahead of Saturday’s tough trip to Swansea ahead of the international break with the pressure increasing on manager Hurst.

Town: Gerken, Donacien, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Chalobah, Ward, Nolan (Dozzell 76), Graham (Edwards 46), Jackson (Sears 46). Unused: Bialkowski, Spence, Downes, Edun.

Middlesbrough: Randolph, Shotton, Ayala, Flint, Friend (c), Besic (McQueen 82), Howson, Saville, Downing, Braithwaite (McNair 69), Hugill (Assombalonga 65). Unused: Lonergan, Batth, Fry, Gestede. Ref: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire). Att: 13,612 (Boro: 438).

Photo: TWTD

robmonkey007 added 05:36 - Oct 3 What is deputy Doig doing for us? Saw him on TV all slouched over shaking his head. Then get off your arse and put things right. Motivate the players. Give some support. Go and make the half time brew. Do anything, I refuse to attend any games or spend any more money at this club until the pair of twits Hurst and Doig are gone. Burley and Butcher to steady the ship and hopefully stop us being relegated

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derbyblue51 added 06:19 - Oct 3 Cannot believe what I'm reading .give p.h 5 more games give more funds in Jan NO it will be too late then he needs to go now before we are 8+ points adrift of safety. He has brought poor players I don't like clubs sacking managers but in this case he needs to be sacked.bring burley/butcher in two people who love the club and will fight hard to keep club up
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Steelmonkey added 06:58 - Oct 3 First half a total shambles, but were we really my better second half or had Middlesboro done enough and just contained us. Sorry Mr Hurst but perhaps you need to bo***ck them before they go out for the first half.
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Nobbysnuts added 07:20 - Oct 3 First half was embarrassing with comical school boy defending. 2nd half slightly better but the damage was already done. Borough were bang average. God bless everyone that sails this once great ship and hold your breath cause we're going down. Ph looked lost on the touchline last nite. Im not going to name players but chambers hang your head in Shame along with Jonas. Pathetic.

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osseyseleven added 07:29 - Oct 3 EVANS MUST GO
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Alxn629 added 07:36 - Oct 3 Most of us hoped PH would bring a better sort of football to PR than we have seen of a few years but this "experiment" has failed IMO.Simply put, you can't sell 3 Championship strikers & replace them with 1 striker from a lower league ( although Jacko never stopped running in the 1st half). No passion showed by PH on the touchline either which was in stark contrast to Pulis who was urging his players on the whole match. PH seems like a nice guy but being a nice guy is no substitute for experience & it would appear he's simply out of his depth here. This isn't working & simply put - either ME changes this super quick or Town are going down.

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norfolkbluey added 07:39 - Oct 3 I'm glad I'm not alone in the way I think about whats happening to OUR club. Shambolic management. Living in Norfolk now after fifty in Suffolk makes me sad when I see my club falling apart and being compared with the Duncan years as being worse. WAKE UP ME and take control of the situation and LEAD the club you profess to love. 'MARCUS the MEAN'. Spend some money on decent players to help out the hapless ones signed in the past year and ditch the has beens. It can still be achieved with decisive decision making. I doubt we will get even 25 points at this rate. Our club is a laughing stock in Norfolk and they are revelling in our demise. It is so desperate we are thinking of moving back because it's so humiliating.

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Kirbmeister added 07:54 - Oct 3 Last season Bolton survived with 43 points. That would mean we need 37 points from 35 games. I can't see us getting anywhere near that. I wanted MM out but we did win 17 games last season.
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derbyblue51 added 07:58 - Oct 3 I love the passion from fellow supporters but all we do is talk we must act and let M.E know how we feel he will never know how truly we feel without letting him know at next home game I might get stick putting this
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busterjames1 added 08:13 - Oct 3 Please bring in George Burley as overlord to Hogg /Nash/Klug They play the Ipswich way .
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midastouch added 08:20 - Oct 3 The style of football under Hurst is billy boring, that's why we need change. He's proven stubborn by refusing to go 2 up top even though we've been struggling for goals all season, he won't even go 2 up top when we're behind or playing teams at home that we might have a chance of beating. I didn't know anything about Hurst (he certainly wasn't my preferred choice) but was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt but it didn't take long for alarm bells to start ringing and it wasn't long at all before I was raising doubts (and getting criticised for doing so). There were some good managers available. Why did Evans go and pick a bogey from all of those? Of course some of the blame has to land with Evans as it was his choice and he agreed to letting us sell our best strikers, just like he did with Murphy. But it's clear to see Hurst has dropped some massive clangers and now we're in a big hole! I still think Burley or even Gary White would of given us a much better chance as I think they would of worked more in harmony with the U23s. I still wouldn't mind Bryan Klug to Klug the gap as caretaker with immediate effect and see how it goes, he could get Nash and Chambers involved too to support him. Also, I would be more than prepared to give Jim Magilton another chance. I was gutted when he went and couldn't understand the enthusiasm to replace him with Keane. Let's act now before it's too late! I know we're not a sacking club but he seems clueless. If we don't act soon then it will be mission impossible to stay up. Will be very tough for any manager that comes in now to turn this around but at least if we act fast it would give them a realistic fighting chance. So for me it's any of these: Burley & Butcher Gary White Bryan Klug & Nash Jim Magilton Come on Marcus, chop chop before it's too late! At the very most give Paul till the QPR game but if we don't win that then surely you must act!!?? And the other day about 15 people downmarked a poster for calling for Dozzell, why ever for? As Dozzell had a brief chance to show last night, he's superior quality to the players Hurst has signed. For example, Dozzell has far more pedigree than Nolan.

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chalky added 08:22 - Oct 3 If one has a dangerous illness, then you have major surgery as soon as possible to cut it out before it becomes terminal. Hurst must make way for Burley and Butcher. One serious shot on target in 90 minutes is all I counted and the defending for both Boro goals was a shambles. Even in the worst days under Duncan, Keane and Jewell we got the occasional win. If you can't run the club better, Evans, do the decent thing !

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Surco72 added 08:31 - Oct 3 I would like to give Hurst the benefit of doubt at present to find his team , but not if he continues to make stupid selection choices , Bart has to start ,Chambo ,Knudsen and Skuse are poor and continue to make mistakes or be constantly out of position . We cannot play two defensive midfielders if neither actually help protect the back four , Graham should never play again he is awful and not up for the fight , Edwards has to play unless injured as he is our only let out of pressure at present , Dozzell has to play and build the team around him , need two up top as we do not have enough players in the box when we do get deliveries in . We cannot keep having spirited second half displays because Hurst gets the original team selection wrong

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Bergholtblue added 08:34 - Oct 3 Under McCarthy we were going nowhere. At least Hurst has got us moving... towards League 1 and League 2! Just heard that OXO are releasing a new cube. It's going to be in blue and white packaging and will be called Laughing Stock. This clown has to go and go now!
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bluemike1969 added 08:46 - Oct 3 Sadly the gamble with Hurst has not worked, I was desperate to see it work, but sadly it clearly hasn't and so its time to let go before permanent damage is done. For those of you that say it will be too expensive to pay him off, I say this......How much revenue will be lost when we go into league 1? George Burley and Terry Butcher would be great to 'steady the ship' until the end of the season and to reinstall confidence in the team and the fans. We expected so much and have got very little back. I totally understand with the 'give it time' comments, but I feel we have given it more than enough time. I didn't expect much against the likes of Middlesborough, Hull and Blackburn but we needed to make up points with the other teams. People on here have commented about Roy Keanes 14 draw start to the season but that got us 14 points. We have played 11 games and got 6 points from it so by my reckoning, even if we were to win the next three games (which we clearly will not at this point) it would give us just one extra point. I have followed this club for 44 years now and have seen plenty of changes, some good and some bad, and sadly, long gone are the days of 'family clubs' such as ours under the Cobbolds. ME has ruined this once respected club and needs to step down before its too late. There were glimmers of hope in the second half including Andre and Freddie but it was far too late. Bring back Tristan from Scotland as he is just bench warming, look at players from the under 23's to install some flair back. Chambers and Skuse are clearly liabilities so need to be dropped and return Bart to his rightful place between the sticks. Thanks Paul but you are clearly a duck.......calm on the surface but paddling like the devil underneath and sadly you should be in the shallow end as you are out of your depth.

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Brazils_Hair added 08:59 - Oct 3 Evans out - we need some banners made and a pitch invasion at full time. Hurst out - sorry mate. Its all gone wrong. Burley in. Simple..
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cantona11 added 09:10 - Oct 3 lots of mention of two up front i also agree but the first goal came about as Skuse tried to press and left a massive gap in midfield and with Nolan who is not up to it in this league didn't cover!! i'm haven't been the biggest Chalobah fan but he showed abit more last night and was our best goal threat we need to start Sears and Jackson as i feel for Jackson he runs alot to get the ball then is pooped when we punt it into space but Sears,Edwards and even Dozzell changed the game when he was finally put on.Chambers for me should have played his last game 2 seasons ago he is our worst player by far and doesn't lead by example, my team for what it's worth Bart Donacien Pennington Nsiala Kenlock Edwards Skuse Dozzell Rowe Sears Jackson subs- Edun Downes Graham Knudsen Chalobah Nolan (not ideal bench but injuries stop other choices)

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bugledog123 added 09:32 - Oct 3 It's not good enough. The team are not good enough.
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planetblue_2011 added 09:42 - Oct 3 Give Hurst 2 more games Swansea & QPR If no win in either of them then he has got to go. He is out of his depth in championship. I blame Evans for employing him in the first place making out he's the man for the job. Well he clearly isn't. Then again I blame the players too they have lost the plot. Soon as Boro scored their heads all dropped the confidence has gone throughout the team. It's awful to watch, how much do us fans have to put up with this. We need our club back. Maybe bring burley back till end of season to keep us up. Maybe Holloway for the long term he's championship experience & will shoot a rocket up the players arses if they don't perform. Whoever comes in will need money to spend to get us back on track. A new forward line to start with. 🤨

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rollercoastertown added 09:44 - Oct 3 Only one viable option if he goes, no funds for a new manager so have to appoint from within. The lads running the under 23's? Next question is what can they do with all these third rate players? Perhaps they could utilise some championship youngsters, Dozzell, Downes, Kenlock, Lankester, (not sure if call backs are available for Nydam, Wolfenden, Emanuel and Morris). Then a little bit of under used experience around the club like Freddy. Sure the lads wouldn't mind helping out.

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Michael101 added 10:06 - Oct 3 rollercoastertowm, what evans should do is sell dozzel to juventus the rest to fray bentos, the old ones are the best
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TimmyH added 10:07 - Oct 3 Henrietta - I heard a bloke clapping fairly continually (will need to put sudocrem on his palms this morning)...but agree atmosphere is non-existent. At least I didn't hear one cry of 'come on the towen'! (always a bonus).
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Michael101 added 10:13 - Oct 3 all you calling for terry butcher take a look at this ltrack record a few good years in the scotish pub league but after that a few nighmeres at newport,brentfort ,coventry. is that any better than what we already have, easy to be wise afterwards but maybe ross could have got the job
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:26 - Oct 3 cant add any comments about match or the way things are that hasnt aleady been said and repeated. But anyone who has listened to Paul Hurst pre or post match must surely be wondering how the hell Evans was convinced he was ''the man for the job''. Honestly he is a monotone nightmare, cant put a sentence together that makes any sense, What the hell went on in that job interview ?. Im certainly no McCarthy fan and wouldnt want him back,but even his inane wafflings seem intelligent by comparison .I WOULD have settled for survival this season, but ive given up on Hurst AND his signings.They are not young players who are going to improve they are not Championship players and that is a huge problem. We could introduce our own youngsters in place of them but that would be unfare pressure on them if all done at once. Under Evans and Hurst we are totally and utterly screwed . Hurst is a looking more and more like a Sunday league pub gaffer.

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Lightningboy added 10:34 - Oct 3 @busterjames1 Agree,Burley overseeing Klug/Nash/Hogg would be the sensible thing now..even if we were to drop i'd have 100% more faith in them rebuilding things than Hurst..if you think it's lethargic now then imagine watching this dross in league 1 under Hurst..doesn't bear thinking about. Seen 5 games now this season and not once do the players seem to be looking at Hurst or taking any instruction from him during the match - Sir Bobby's statue would have more influence on the touchline. Change is needed now before the break before it's too late - I just feel sorry for whoever comes in next to sort this mess out until January's transfer window at least.

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