Successive wins for Boro

Middlesbrough made it successive home victories inside a week with a narrow 2-1 triumph against Crystal Palace at the Riverside.

The recalled Seb Hines and Merouane Zemmama were both on target either side of the interval before Jermaine Easter replied from the penalty spot.

There was earlier an immediate debut for latest signing Ishmael Miller in attack as manager Tony Mowbray made four changes from the midweek win against Burnley, including no place at the back for Jonathan Woodgate.

Boro went close early with the restored Faris Haroun heading Justin Hoyte's cross against an upright and Adam Reach forcing a stop from Palace's Argentine goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

New signing Miller then curled an attempt marginally over and midweek goalscorer Reach produced more work for Speroni until Grant Leadbitter delivered a corner turned in by Hines with four minutes of the opening half remaining.

That stung the visitors into an immediate reply and Kagisho Dikgacoi narrowly cleared the crossbar from around 25-yards in the final action of the first period.

Following the restart Speroni was saving again from Zemmama, who not long after swept a free-kick from the edge of the area into the bottom corner to double the advantage.

Speroni was next blocking from Haroun after initially failing to hold from Leadbitter. But Reach then lost possession and Josh McEachran took down Easter, who expertly converted from the spot.

Boro were later grateful to keeper Jason Steele as he denied Wilfried Zaha and then gathered again in the closing stages after home substitute Richie Smallwood had already struck at Speroni from distance.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Hines, R. Williams, Friend, Reach, Zemmama, Leadbitter, McEachran (Smallwood 78), Haroun (Main 78), Miller (L. Williams 67)

subs (unused): Leutwiler, McManus, Ledesma, Arca

Goals: Hines (41), Zemmama (52)

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Martin, Ramage, Parr, Dikgacoi (Moritz 60), Garvan, Blake, Jedinak, Kossoko (Moxey 79), Zaha,
Easter (Appiah 63)

subs (unused): Price, Ward, O'Keefe, Wilbraham

Goals: Easter (56 pen)

Ref: Coote

Att: 15,494

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