Blackburn 0-1 Middlesbrough: Assombalonga keeps Boro in promotion race

Middlesbrough tightened their grip on the play-offs without turning the screw enough to completely satisfy their manager.

And although Tony Pulis rightly pinpointed what he called Boro’s ‘Achilles heel’ in their promotion quest, Tony Mowbray put a proverbial boot into Blackburn.

Again, it was warranted as the Rovers boss bemoaned ‘a lack of fight, desire, energy and quality’ in a match-defining first half. 

Britt Assombalonga headed in from very close range after Ashley Fletcher’s cross-shot

Assombalonga celebrates with Fletcher after giving Middlesbrough the lead on 19 minutes

Boro celebrate going in front at Ewood Park as they look to stay in the promotion race

Boro reached the break with Britt Assombalonga’s winning goal and Blackburn further depleted by the sending-off of Derrick Williams.

The fact that the 10 men offered much more threat than the 11 fuelled rather than tempered Mowbray’s criticism after a fourth straight defeat.

Pulis was not entirely happy either, despite seeing his side over-ride the loss of key defenders Daniel Ayala and Aden Flint to climb above Bristol City into fifth place.

‘After 27 shots and only one goal we’ve got to be more ruthless,’ said Pulis, who went with an attacking looking line-up. ‘We wanted to be positive and played really well in the circumstances.’

Mowbray’s mood suggested he felt Blackburn effectively beat themselves. ‘I couldn’t recognise my team in the first half,’ he said. 

Derrick Williams leaves the pitch after he was sent off just before half time for a clumsy tackle

Williams was caught out by a ball over the top and tackled Fletcher just outside the area

Fletcher fell to the floor, and Williams was judged to have denied a goal scoring opportunity

Williams pleaded his innocence, but was sent off to leave Blackburn in deep trouble

Boro should certainly have won more comfortably. They could have been punished for failing to add to Assombalonga’s 12th goal of the season.

Danny Graham fired wide after bustling clear and Bradley Dack drew a great save from Darren Randolph.

That said, David Raya made an equally brilliant stop to deny Assombalonga a second.

It was fitting that the most dangerous attacker on the field, Ashley Fletcher, finished on the winning side. Fletcher made the most of a rare chance to impress, instrumental in what proved to be the winner — with all Boro’s league victories of 2019 coming on the road.

Fletcher and Assombalonga, both recalled among Pulis’s changes, saw them take the early initiative. 

Lewis Wing came close to making it 2-0 early in the second half but hit the bar from long range

Darren Randolph pulled off a superb late save to deny Bradley Dack and secure Boro the win

On only his second league start of the season, Fletcher immediately pepped up an attack lacking thrust lately.

Although he failed with a close-range header, his pace and trickery left Blackburn exposed from Dael Fry’s long ball.

Fletcher’s angled shot deflected off Charlie Mulgrew and was going just wide of the far post. Assombalonga anticipated superbly to head home just in front of the line in the 19th minute.

Fletcher was again the thorn in Rovers’ side when the home team were reduced to 10 men just before the break. The forward burst clear and was tripped by Williams on the edge of the area. It must have been one of the easiest red cards of referee Darren Bond’s career.

Blackburn were roundly booed off at half-time. And it was not only to reorganise in the face of the loss of Williams that Mowbray made a triple substitution.

Lewis Wing’s swerving 20-yard shot crashed off the Blackburn bar on the restart.

But Rovers offered a big improvement in a more even and exciting second period, with substitute Amari’i Bell a real threat on the left. 

Blackburn defender Jack Rodwell slides in on George Saville in the opening stages

Boro midfielder Mo Besic tackles Elliott Bennett who jumps out of the way of the challenge

Current Boro boss Tony Pulis greets ex-Teesside player and manager Tony Mowbray pre-match