Middlesbrough 2 Cardiff City 1

AT times it might not have been pretty and in the end Aitor Karanka was relieved to hear the final whistle, but this was the night Middlesbrough climbed back in to the Championship’s automatic promotion places.

That was not all. A defeat for leaders Bournemouth at Leeds United means, courtesy of Patrick Bamford and Lee Tomlin’s second half goals, Boro are just a point behind the Cherries in the race for the title.

Homegrown defender Ben Gibson punched the air in delight after the final whistle when the Bournemouth result belted over the PA system and then team-mate George Friend ran to rouse the supporters in the South Stand.

Middlesbrough, who did allow former Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones to pull one back in the closing stages, know how important back-to-back wins are for confidence after a slight stutter either side of Christmas.

Despite the stutter, though, this success means Middlesbrough have now lost just one of their last 15 matches and are without defeat at the Riverside since August.

This was nowhere near a title-winning performance, but the character required to stay in the promotion mix was on display, regardless of whether third placed Ipswich win at Brighton on Wednesday night.

On the face of it Middlesbrough should have won at a canter. Cardiff had won just one of their previous 13 away games, while their opponents have been solid at the Riverside since the summer.

Had Kike made the most of a great chance within 14 seconds of kick-off then the home side might have made an easy night of it. Instead, after he controlled Bamford’s centre, he took enough time to control and shoot to allow Matthew Connolly the time to make a block inside the area.

But it was that sort of positive start which Karanka had hoped for following Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Huddersfield. For a head coach who loves to tinker, he even retained the vast majority of his starting line-up.

Only Albert Adomah was withdrawn, to accommodate Adam Reach instead, so it is now 46 games since the Spanish boss named the same team in consecutive matches. His ploy has worked so far, keeping Middlesbrough firmly in the promotion shake-up.

A lack of goals has prevented his team from taking control at the top of the Championship. While his strikers have found the net in bursts, none have been able to maintain that form which has led to regular changes to the forward line.

For the second game in a row Kike was included at the top of the system and he linked up play with the midfield and wingers, without doing much beyond that. He had another opportunity to score just after quarter of an hour.

When Bamford’s shot from distance was spilled by goalkeeper Simon Moore, the Cardiff shot-stopper reacted quickly enough to stop Kike from turning in the rebound. Instead the former Real Murcia forward tried to earn a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Moore and play was waved on.

Cardiff have struggled to come to terms with the Championship since relegation but did not make it easy for Middlesbrough and they spent plenty of time in their half. As so often this season, however, the back five wearing red shirts stood solid and effective.

The best that Cardiff could muster, with the exception of a few dangerous corners from Peter Whittingham, was a harmless Craig Noone half volley which flew wide of Dimi Konstantopoulos’ upright.

Moore was not that busy at the other end either. He did have to hold a powerful header from Daniel Ayala when the defender met Grant Leadbitter’s corner just after the half hour, but even that was routine.

There was even less attacking intent from Middlesbrough after the restart, with Bamford, Kike, Tomlin and Reach all struggling to find a way to test the Cardiff defence – and had it not been for Konstantopoulos they might have fallen behind.

Just before the hour, Kadeem Harris found himself given the time to turn on the edge of the area and shoot. His effort bounced and curled towards the far corner only for Konstantopoulos to turn behind.

That save proved crucial. Shortly after, and following a Leadbitter show of passion which earned a yellow card for dissent and lifted the crowd, Middlesbrough had the lead.

When a Cardiff charge broke down, Middlesbrough quickly turned defence in to attack. Reach and Tomlin eventually combined down the left before the former sent in a low delivery.

The Blue shirts failed to stop, Bamford’s initial effort was thwarted and then he calmly slotted a lovely finish in to Moore’s bottom right corner to the relief of the Riverside in the 63rd minute. It was his first goal in seven matches.

Middlesbrough should have had a second seven minutes later. Moore, though, made the most of Kike’s hesitancy in the penalty area to save an effort as the Spaniard was left with just the keeper to beat following Clayton’s through pass.

Middlesbrough looked more dangerous after that. Adomah, on for Kike, and Reach both went close to extending the lead. The Teesside crowd did not have to wait too much longer, though.

With 11 minutes remaining, Clayton fed Reach down the flank again. The winger chose the right time to cross and Tomlin, who hit a double on Saturday, arrived on cue to power a finish beyond Moore.

There were a few nerves in the closing stages after former Sunderland man Jones had headed in his 11th of the season from Joe Ralls’ brilliant back post cross with four minutes left.

But Middlesbrough had done enough. After climbing in to the top two, all eyes can now turn to a trip to Premier League champions Manchester City.