Boro up to third after win

Middlesbrough moved into third place in the Championship after on loan striker Ishmael Miller scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 victory against Hull City at the Riverside.

Faris Haroun opened the home account just before the hour and Miller added another seven minutes later to secure a third straight win for the Teessiders.

Skipper Jonathan Woodgate was earlier ruled out for the hosts following the effects of his comeback at Brighton while Nicky Bailey and Scott McDonald both reverted to the substitutes bench.

Boro opened well after their successful weekend on the coast and Grant Leadbitter twice called Ben Amos into action from outside the box and the on loan Manchester United goalkeeper also gathered from Miller.

Ahmed Elmohamady struck a free-kick over in reply but it was the hosts going much closer after the break when George Friend headed against the crossbar and Miller knocked over the rebound.

But a superb run and delivery from Friend presented the opportunity for Belgian midfielder Haroun to round the keeper and open the scoring just as the hour was being reached.

That advantage was then extended seven minutes later when Miller followed up to claim his first goal for the club after Amos had blocked from both Friend and substitute Scott McDonald.

Hull went close to cutting the deficit as Stephen Quinn crashed a low shot against an upright from the edge of the area and Jay Simpson was wide from the rebound.

Defender Andy Dawson was similarly off-target for the visitors while McDonald shot wide and then forced a near post save from Amos at the other end.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Parnaby, Hines, Amougou, Friend, Reach (McDonald 65), Leadbitter, McEachran (Bailey 76), Haroun, Emnes, Miller (Ledesma 79)

subs (unused): Leutwiler, Halliday, Park, Smallwood

Goals: Haroun (59), Miller (66)

Hull City: Amos, Rosenior (Simpson 76), Dawson, Chester, McShane, McKenna (Evans 76), Olofinjana, Elmohamady, Quinn, Mclean, Proschwitz (Aluko 60)

subs (unused): Oxley, Cooper, Bruce, Townsend

Ref: Tierney

Att: 14,129

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