More Blues for Boro

Middlesbrough received another shattering blow with Nikola Zigic's late winner allowing Birmingham City to inflict a third successive defeat on them at the Riverside.

The Serbian international got on the end of Shane Ferguson's cross with just under ten minutes remaining as the visitors finally emerged 1-0 winners and ensured more frustration for the home faithful.

Birmingham suffered an early blow with Jonathan Spector limping off and being replaced by Keith Fahey, although they still fashioned decent chances with Ravel Morrison and Wes Thomas both off-target before the latter headed at Jason Steele.

Scott McDonald had an effort ruled out for offside at the opposite end and then fired another opportunity over before Steele denied Morrison just ahead of the interval.

Boro striker McDonald was similarly thwarted by keeper Jack Butland upon the restart before Adam Reach and Ishmael Miller were both wide of the mark. Nathan Redmond wasn't far off from distance with a reply.

But it required England keeper Butland to react well in order to deny Reach, while opposite number Steele parried from Redmond before Ferguson delivered low after Faris Haroun had already been robbed for Zigic to scramble a late winner.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte (McEachran 86), Woodgate, Bikey, Friend, Reach, Leadbitter, Haroun, Ameobi (Carayol 77), Jutkiewicz (Miller 65), McDonald

subs (unused): Leutwiler, R. Williams, Halliday, Main

Birmingham City: Butland, Davies, Spector (Fahey 4), Caddis, Robinson, Ferguson (Caldwell 83), Morrison,
Elliott, Redmond, Zigic, Thomas (Mullins 88)

subs (unused): Doyle, Burke, Ambrose, Reilly

Goals: Zigic (81)

Ref: Coote

Att: 14,348

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