Leeds manager Daniel Farke believes Leeds’ 4-3 victory over Middlesbrough was a “good advertisement” for Championship football.

An end-to-end encounter at the Riverside produced five goals in just the first half, starting with the hosts taking an early lead through Isaiah Jones.

Leeds netted two goals in 11 minutes when Summerville slotted home from the spot and Patrick Bamford came back to haunt the Riverside after bundling a goal home.

Emmanuel Latte Lath drew Boro level on the 30 minute mark but Wilfried Gnonto restored the visitors’ advantage in a frenetic first 45 minutes.

Summerville bagged his second of the game after the break with a curling strike and there was late drama when Latte Lath scored a looping header in the 87th minute but Leeds held on for the three points.

Reflecting on a thrilling clash, Farke believes his players showed “great mentality” to see out victory.

He said: “First of all a good advertisement for Championship football, I think all the supporters have enjoyed the game.

“(It was) a great piece of football from two good sides who really went for it to win this game.

“To start the game with this unlucky goal, deflected pass that normally wouldn’t have been a chance, they scored out of this.

“Middlesbrough played today with freedom because it was more or less their last highlight, they could go for it and had a really good shape, then they are 1-0 up after just a few moments.

“To show such a reaction in the first half to come back to create so many chances, to score fantastic goals, was great for us to have.

“Compliments to Middlesbrough, they showed a fantastic performance, but great mentality from our players to lead 3-2 at half-time.

“We needed to show some steel and resilience in the last minutes to dig in and grind out this important result for us and we did.

“Many compliments for the heart, the mentality and the character of our players today and for their offensive quality.”

The result means Leeds climb to second in the table, overtaking Ipswich who have three games left this season compared to the Yorkshire club’s two.

Boro remain ninth in the table and boss Michael Carrick praised his side for their “incredible effort” but believes Gnonto’s goal, which appeared to be offside, was a “massive decision” in the game.

“I enjoyed the game, I thought we did a lot of good things,” he said.

“They’ve got some good quality and they’ve showed it all season. At the top end of the pitch they’re really dangerous.

“I thought we defended largely in shape really well, we were really good with the ball and dominated and controlled large parts of the game.

“I was really pleased with the boys and the effort was an incredible effort all the way to the end. We went for it, we had to go for it, we threw everything at them.

“The offside goal is a massive decision. We asked the boys to defend well and hold the line together, the line’s impeccable really and I think there’s three of them in the line around the edge of the box hold the line.

“You expect offsides given, which it was too clear not to be.”

Crysencio Summerville’s brace boosted Leeds’ hopes of automatic promotion as they edged to a 4-3 victory against Middlesbrough in a thrilling Sky Bet Championship clash.

A relentless opening saw five goals scored in the first half alone, starting with Boro going in front through Isaiah Jones just seven minutes in, but the visitors soon got their foot back in the game with goals from Summerville and Patrick Bamford in the space of 11 minutes.

An enthralling end-to-end encounter saw Emmanuel Latte Lath level on the 30 minute mark but Wilfried Gnonto restored Leeds’ advantage from a ruthless attack.

Summerville extended the advantage in the second half before Latte Lath’s header threatened a late comeback. However, Leeds held on for a victory which means they leapfrog Ipswich into second place, albeit having played a game more than the Suffolk club.

Middlesbrough took the lead in the seventh minute when Luke Thomas won the ball on the left flank and played in Finn Azaz, who flicked a quick pass to an onrushing Latte Lath.

Illan Meslier came out to block the ball, which bounced underneath him and into the path of Jones, who raced past defender Junior Firpo and stabbed the ball into an empty net.

Leeds composed themselves and equalised just seven minutes later when Anfernee Dijksteel clipped Georginio Rutter’s ankles in the area and Summerville stepped up to fire the subsequent spot-kick into the bottom left corner.

The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute when former Boro striker Bamford came back to haunt the Riverside, bundling in Firpo’s cross with his thigh past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.

After threatening from some corners, Boro got an equaliser on the half-hour mark when Leeds were dispossessed from a throw-in in their own half. Azaz found an unmarked Latte Lath on the edge of the box and Meslier could only palm the forward’s powerful strike into the net.

Leeds regained their lead nine minutes later with a well-worked attack through the middle involving Archie Gray, with Summerville threading the ball into Gnonto, who smashed it past Dieng.

The visitors nearly had another just minutes later in a similar style, but Bamford’s effort was pawed away by Dieng and Sammy Silvera smashed a shot over the bar just before the break.

The hosts patiently passed around the pitch in a quieter start to the second half and Lewis O’Brien and Dijksteel tested Meslier with some dangerous crosses.

However, Leeds dealt the next blow from another devastating break in the 61st minute when Firpo played through to Summerville in acres of space on the left and the forward scored his second of the evening with a curling shot across goal.

The game still had another twist when Latte Lath set up a manic finale after looping a header over Meslier from a pinpoint cross in the 87th minute.

The visitors were forced into some frenetic defending and Meslier made a low dive to deny Jonny Howson’s effort in stoppage-time to wrap up victory.

Crysencio Summerville’s brace boosted Leeds’ hopes of automatic promotion as they edged to a 4-3 victory against Middlesbrough in a thrilling Sky Bet Championship clash.

A relentless opening saw five goals scored in the first half alone, starting with Boro going in front through Isaiah Jones just seven minutes in, but the visitors soon got their foot back in the game with goals from Summerville and Patrick Bamford in the space of 11 minutes.

An enthralling end-to-end encounter saw Emmanuel Latte Lath level on the 30 minute mark but Wilfried Gnonto restored Leeds’ advantage from a ruthless attack.

Summerville extended the advantage in the second half before Latte Lath’s header threatened a late comeback. However, Leeds held on for a victory which means they leapfrog Ipswich into second place, albeit having played a game more than the Suffolk club.

Middlesbrough took the lead in the seventh minute when Luke Thomas won the ball on the left flank and played in Finn Azaz, who flicked a quick pass to an onrushing Latte Lath.

Illan Meslier came out to block the ball, which bounced underneath him and into the path of Jones, who raced past defender Junior Firpo and stabbed the ball into an empty net.

Leeds composed themselves and equalised just seven minutes later when Anfernee Dijksteel clipped Georginio Rutter’s ankles in the area and Summerville stepped up to fire the subsequent spot-kick into the bottom left corner.

The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute when former Boro striker Bamford came back to haunt the Riverside, bundling in Firpo’s cross with his thigh past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.

After threatening from some corners, Boro got an equaliser on the half-hour mark when Leeds were dispossessed from a throw-in in their own half. Azaz found an unmarked Latte Lath on the edge of the box and Meslier could only palm the forward’s powerful strike into the net.

Leeds regained their lead nine minutes later with a well-worked attack through the middle involving Archie Gray, with Summerville threading the ball into Gnonto, who smashed it past Dieng.

The visitors nearly had another just minutes later in a similar style, but Bamford’s effort was pawed away by Dieng and Sammy Silvera smashed a shot over the bar just before the break.

The hosts patiently passed around the pitch in a quieter start to the second half and Lewis O’Brien and Dijksteel tested Meslier with some dangerous crosses.

However, Leeds dealt the next blow from another devastating break in the 61st minute when Firpo played through to Summerville in acres of space on the left and the forward scored his second of the evening with a curling shot across goal.

The game still had another twist when Latte Lath set up a manic finale after looping a header over Meslier from a pinpoint cross in the 87th minute.

The visitors were forced into some frenetic defending and Meslier made a low dive to deny Jonny Howson’s effort in stoppage-time to wrap up victory.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was “proud” of his team’s performance in the thrilling 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough which put them one point clear at the top of the Championship.

Town went into the game looking to take advantage after seeing automatic promotion rivals Leicester and Leeds lose to Plymouth and Blackburn respectively.

Boro took the lead after 20 minutes through a header from Emmanuel Latte Lath but Town struck back 10 minutes later when Massimo Luongo crashed home a corner by Leif Davis.

Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky produced two wonderful saves, firstly from Isaiah Jones and then Matt Clarke, to keep the scores level.

McKenna said: “Frustration isn’t my feeling at the moment. Maybe it will be tomorrow but at the moment it’s pride around the performance.

“I thought it was a brilliant game, I thought the performance was excellent against a good side and I was really proud of how we went about our business really.

“I thought we played brilliant, we played confident, tactically it was a really good battle, we created plenty of chances to win the game and I thought it was a really good performance.

“Over the course of the last two games could we have had an couple of extra points, for sure we could we have lost today, Vaz (Hladky) produces a great save at the end.

“The players have given everything and what’s more pleasing for me is the performance and at the end of the season we will get as many points that we get, I don’t think they are going to leave an ounce of effort out there.

“I really liked the way we went about our business and at the end of the day we pick up a point from a really good performance and we have a little bit of recovery now and look forward to last week and three great games.”

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick was happy with a share of the spoils in the end.

He said: “It’s a tough place to come and you can see they’re a really good team, confidence is high and they’re in a really good place.

“Their record here is really good so it was always going to be challenging to come here, which makes it probably a decent point in isolation.

“But, for us, we came here to win and we wanted to win, so it’s a bit of mixed feelings really overall.

“We know what we needed [as far as play-off hopes were concerned]. It doesn’t change what we do for the next game, though.

“We want to finish the season strongly and continue to do the right things. We’re on a decent run at the moment and we want to try and keep building on that. The aim is to just try and keep winning football matches really.

“There are a lot of good things again. There are things we need to improve upon and be better at but there are some good things that we can take from it.

“We’ve been doing that for a number of games now which is pleasing. But we still want to be coming to places like this and winning. We tried to but we just didn’t quite pull it off.”

Ipswich moved a point clear at the top of the Championship after a thrilling 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at Portman Road.

Town went into the game looking to take advantage after seeing automatic promotion rivals Leicester and Leeds lose to Plymouth and Blackburn respectively.

In a breathless first half the visitors took the lead through a header from Emmanuel Latte Lath but Town struck back 10 minutes later when Massimo Luongo crashed home a corner by Leif Davis.

Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky produced two wonderful saves, firstly from Isaiah Jones and then Matt Clarke, to keep the scores level deep into the second period.

Ipswich were on the front foot from the start but Middlesbrough were carving out their own chances and they got their noses in front after 20 minutes when a cross from Leeds loanee Luke Ayling found Ivorian striker Latte Lath, who headed home.

There were strong shouts for handball after Boro defender Clarke blocked a cross from Axel Tuanzebe but referee Sam Allison ruled it out and awarded a corner from which Town equalised as Luongo came rushing in at the far post and fired the ball home via the underside of the bar.

Town almost immediately took the lead when Jeremy Sarmiento was played through by Conor Chaplin and chipped Seny Dieng as he rushed off his line.

It looked like it was going into the net but it clipped a post. Ali Al-Hamadi tried for the rebound with a back-heel flick but it was blocked.

Boro wasted a great chance to take the lead just before half-time when they countered down the left through Sammy Silvera.

Latte Lath’s first shot was deflected, with a handball shout from the visitors, before the second went out for a corner from which former Norwich midfielder Jonny Howson headed wide.

A dazzling run by Omari Hutchinson saw him leave Middlesbrough defenders in his wake and as he closed in on goal his shot was deflected over the bar by Danish defender Lukas Engel.

As both teams pushed Hladky had to dive to his right to deny Boro substitute Sam Greenwood after Town skipper Sam Morsy lost possession while at the other end Dieng parried away a shot from Hutchinson.

Hladky produced two wonderful saves to keep the game level. First he stopped Jones from point-blank range and then stretched to palm over a header from Clarke as the game drew to a nail-biting close.

Hull boss Liam Rosenior and Middlesbrough counterpart Michael Carrick are both adamant a top-six finish in the Championship remains within reach despite denting each other’s hopes.

An entertaining 2-2 draw between the sides at the MKM Stadium on Wednesday left them both six points adrift of the play-off spots, with Middlesbrough in ninth, one place ahead of Hull.

But with Hull having five matches of the campaign to play and sixth-placed Norwich and Boro both having four, Rosenior was refusing to draw a line through his side’s season.

“We need to take it to the wire and we have an opportunity to take it to the last day,” Rosenior said. “As we know anything can happen on the last day. Norwich have got tough games, we’ve got tough games.”

Rosenior, though, rued Hull’s inability to take three points despite outplaying for Middlesbrough for large spells after falling behind to Emmanuel Latte Lath’s sixth goal in his last eight matches.

Hull got on top and were well worth a leveller through Jaden Philogene’s cross-cum-shot while Seny Dieng then played Lewis O’Brien into trouble, which allowed Jean Michael Seri to steal in and put the Tigers deservedly ahead before half-time.

While Hull had opportunities to extend their lead, Boro had the final say as a swift break was finished by Finn Azaz, whose 71st-minute strike deflected off Alfie Jones before nestling in the net.

Rosenior added: “It’s the same story, I’m really proud of 99.9 per cent of the stuff we do but we just don’t take advantage and then we shoot ourselves in the foot.

“It’s what could end up – I’m not saying has done – costing us something that is so attainable with this group. That’s the painful thing at the moment for the lads and everyone involved in the club.

“We can see the potential is there but potential is nothing, you have to turn it into results. If we consistently play at that level for the next five games, we’ll come really close.

“We have to be perfect. I don’t mean by winning five games, I mean by managing moments. We have an outstanding football team at this level but we consistently haven’t taken advantage of the moments.”

Despite Middlesbrough walking away with just one point, Carrick was incredulous when asked if he and his side are still optimistic of finishing sixth or higher.

He said: “You’re kidding, aren’t you? Of course we are. One hundred per cent. It’s pretty obvious we’ve got to win the next game. Nothing’s changed from before this game.

“Norwich took a point (in a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday), us and Hull have taken a point. There are games to play.

“Anything can happen in this league so there’s no way we’re giving up on anything just yet.”

v’s deflected second-half goal helped Middlesbrough claim a 2-2 draw at Hull but a point apiece does little to boost either side’s Sky Bet Championship play-off hopes.

Emmanuel Latte Lath followed up a brace in Boro’s 2-0 win over Swansea on Saturday with an early goal at the MKM Stadium but Jaden Philogene’s cross-cum-shot drew Hull level just before the half hour.

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Seny Dieng played Lewis O’Brien into trouble which allowed Jean Michael Seri to put the Tigers deservedly in the lead ahead of half-time but Azaz had the final say, albeit after his strike took a crucial final touch off Alfie Jones before nestling in the goal.

Both teams sit six points adrift of sixth-placed Norwich with Middlesbrough in ninth, one place ahead of Hull, who have a game in hand over their two rivals.

This was a missed opportunity for both sides, even if Middlesbrough extended their unbeaten run to eight matches and it was the visitors who stormed out of the traps after kick-off was delayed by a quarter of an hour due to heavy traffic in the area.

Hull’s defenders were caught on their heels and paid their price as Latte Lath bagged his sixth goal in his last eight matches.

Having taken six minutes to score in the reverse fixture, which Boro lost 2-1 in December, Latte Lath needed just four this time after stealing in behind a high line and steering beyond Ryan Allsop from an acute angle.

Hull gradually warmed to their task and were unfortunate Abdus Omur slipped at the vital moment in front of goal as his miskick sailed wide while Jacob Greaves’ header was clawed away by Dieng as Middlesbrough were hemmed into their own half.

Hull’s persistence was rewarded as the influential Philogene delivered a teasing ball that seemed to elude Ozan Tufan at the back post before sailing into the net.

While Hull awarded the 29th-minute goal to a celebrating Tufan, it was officially given to Philogene.

Luke Ayling headed off his line following Omur’s chip as Hull continued to pour forward but they were given a helping hand four minutes before half-time.

Dieng’s attempt to play out from the back backfired spectacularly as Seri nudged O’Brien off the ball on the edge of his own area before lashing into the top corner.

Despite being outplayed for most of the first half, Middlesbrough might have drawn level at the start of the second as Jonny Howson’s thunderous effort was palmed by Allsop into the path of Latte Lath, who got into a tangle and could not slot in the rebound.

Howson at the other end made a desperate intervention to block Seri’s goal-bound effort while Regan Slater drilled across the face of goal and wide as Hull looked to give themselves some breathing room.

Their inability to do so came back to haunt them as they were hit on the break in the 71st minute.

Azaz exchanged passes with Isaiah Jones before bearing down on goal and his shot ricocheted off Jones and over Allsop as Middlesbrough drew level.

Omur might have nicked victory for Hull in the closing stages after springing the offside trap and going clean through but he was denied by the legs of Dieng.

Michael Carrick praised his Middlesbrough players for digging deep and finding a way to win, in what Swansea boss Luke Williams described as an “atrocious game of football” at the Riverside.

Williams was furious after his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat that leaves the Swans just five points above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.

But Carrick’s Boro are now unbeaten in their last seven matches and are just six points off the play-off places ahead of Wednesday’s crucial trip to Hull.

Emmanuel Latte Lath came up with two moments of quality to secure Boro’s second home win in a week, with the Ivorian striking either side of half-time to take his tally for the season to 10 in the league and 12 in all competitions.

Latte Lath opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time then wrapped up the points 11 minutes from time with a clinical right-footed finish.

Carrick said: “I’m delighted to be honest. It’s the type of game that can pass you by if you don’t do the right things.

“I thought the boys were disciplined and effective and efficient in the work we wanted to do.

“We knew they’re good in taking the ball in possession. We were patient and disciplined, defended the box well and defended in our half well.”

Latte Lath now has five goals in nine games since returning from injury.

Carrick said: “Manu is coming into form. He’s had a big impact, he’s had a good return and hopefully there’s a few more in him.

“Hopefully his form carries on. When you’re on that run you want to keep surfing it. He’s definitely doing that. We have two or three challenging games coming up, we’ll need that impact player around the box.”

Boro’s rivals for the play-off places – Norwich, Hull and Coventry – all won on Saturday but Carrick said his players just need to concentrate on themselves as they look to force their way into the top six.

He said: “We’re coming from behind. We’ve put a bit of a run together, we just have to try and extend that as long as we can.

“Wednesday is a new challenge and will have a bit of a say on what the picture looks like after that. We just have to keep chipping away and see how we end up.”

Swansea mustered only one shot on target at the Riverside and have now won just one of their last six games.

Williams, who took over in January after leaving Notts County, said his players need to prove they should be part of his long-term plans at the club.

He fumed: “It was just an atrocious game of football, an absolutely diabolical example of the Championship.

“It would have been nicer if we’d won, at least we could have then pretended to be happy about something, but goodness me.

“There was nothing right about that. It was like going to a charity game in the summer, no atmosphere, a bit of talking in the crowd.

“The first goal was a comedy, the second one isn’t loads better. It’s hard to find anything good about today, especially when you don’t get any points.”

Emmanuel Latte Lath scored an impressive double as Middlesbrough kept their Sky Bet Championship play-off hopes alive with a 2-0 win at home to Swansea.

Latte Lath, a summer signing from Atalanta, moved into double figures for league goals this season with strikes either side of half-time as Boro extended their unbeaten run to seven games.

Michael Carrick’s side have now kept five clean sheets in their last six games and head for rivals Hull on Wednesday night six points adrift of the play-off places.

Swansea are 15th in the Championship after a third successive game without a win. Last month’s 2-0 South Wales derby success against Cardiff is the only win in the last six for Luke Williams’ side.

They did have a couple of opportunities to get themselves in front early on at the Riverside, both falling to Jerry Yates.

The striker’s touch let him down when he was unmarked in the box and picked out by Ronald Pereira Martins, allowing Jonny Howson to sweep up and clear. And inside quarter of an hour, Martins again teed up Yates but the 27-year-old was not able to direct his header on goal.

Finn Azaz and Isaiah Jones both had openings for Boro but flashed efforts wide from inside the box.

Latte Lath was Boro’s liveliest player in the first half and he tested Carl Rushworth with a low early strike and called the keeper into action again with a strike from the edge of the box.

The Ivorian broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time. He was first to pounce on a loose ball after Rushworth parried a Jones cross, but there was still plenty of work to be done. Despite the fact six Swansea defenders blocked the route to goal, the striker still managed to squeeze his shot in at the front post.

Swansea were almost gifted a leveller within two minutes of the restart. Dan Barlaser wanted too much time on the edge of his own box and as visiting attackers flocked around him, panicked and made a mess of an attempted backpass to Seny Dieng that flashed just past the post.

Barlaser again played Boro into trouble with a loose pass that was intercepted by Jamal Lowe. The forward charged towards the box and took aim for the far corner but Dieng was equal to it.

Swansea probed but struggled to create any clear cut chances and Latte Lath wrapped up the points 11 minutes from time when he cut on to his right foot and clinically found the top corner.

Michael Carrick feels his Middlesbrough side are peaking at the ideal time after their 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday took them to within six points of the Championship’s play-off places.

The Teessiders’ season looked to effectively be over when they dropped to 14th after last month’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke, but they have embarked on a six-game unbeaten run that has reignited their promotion hopes.

They have closed to within six points of sixth-placed Norwich thanks to a comfortable victory over the Owls, which was achieved through a Michael Ihiekwe own goal and a deflected second-half strike from Isaiah Jones.

Carrick said: “There comes a point towards the end of the season where we are where we are, and you understand that and grasp it. You can then try to use that as a motivation.

“Five or six games ago, it was a case of getting back to basics and being solid and hard to beat. It was about trying to win games again, and we’ve done that.

“Southampton (a 1-1 draw on Good Friday) was a move in the right direction in terms of the football we want to play, and then today we’ve added to that again.

“I thought we looked a lot like the team we want to look like today, and I was pleased with that.

“Of course, we’ve got to keep trying to win games and see where that takes us, but the end of the season is getting closer now and while there’ll be swings week to week, I think you’ve got to embrace that at this stage.”

Carrick was especially pleased with his side’s defensive display despite the absence of a host of senior players that resulted in Jonny Howson having to play centre-back for the second game in a row.

Boro have conceded just one goal in their last five matches, with their improved defensive performances having played a major role in their unbeaten run.

Carrick said: “I think we’ve defended well as a team and pressed well. Different scenarios, different little tweaks of personnel, but I keep talking about the wavelengths and connections.

“Jonny has just shown his experience and his class. He’s stepped in and understood it straight away.

“I know he’s played there a few times, but I think he’s quite enjoyed that bit of a fresh challenge. You could see that, and I thought he was terrific again.”

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl pulled no punches as he bemoaned his side’s lacklustre showing as they slipped to 23rd in the table with just six more games to play.

“The supporters are high level, Premier League level, but from us, there was nothing,” Rohl said.

“I have showed my players one clip immediately after the game, and that clip showed everything that was wrong. If you lose the ball, then you have to work. If you play forward, then you have to push out. If the opponent moves right, you have to move right, but we were not moving right.

“We can speak about the shape, the players, everything, but it was simply not good enough. It was a big, big disappointment.

“If you are not doing the basics right, that is really disappointing.

“If you do not have the right attitude, it will be hard, and if the attitude is not right, it will be hard to take anything over the next six games.”

Middlesbrough closed in on the Championship play-off places as they claimed a 2-0 victory over struggling Sheffield Wednesday.

Isaiah Jones’ deflected strike followed an own goal from Michael Ihiekwe as Michael Carrick’s side extended their unbeaten run to six games and moved to within six points of sixth-placed Norwich.

Wednesday’s defeat would have been even heavier had Boro’s Sam Greenwood not rolled a late penalty against the post, and the Owls find themselves two points adrift of safety in 23rd position.

After briefly threatening to turn things around, Danny Rohl’s side have now gone four games without a victory.

Wednesday had conceded six goals in their previous away game at Ipswich, but they made a decent start on Teesside and could have claimed the lead inside the opening four minutes.

Marvin Johnson was released down the left by a long ball from the back, but while the former Middlesbrough wing-back’s angled drive beat goalkeeper Seny Dieng, the ball shaved the outside of the far post.

Boro, who had claimed a creditable draw at Southampton on Good Friday, took time to get going, but Lewis O’Brien finally recorded the hosts’ first effort at goal midway through the first half.

The Nottingham Forest loanee attempted a curled effort from 25 yards, but the ball deflected wide off Barry Bannan.

The home side should really have claimed the lead six minutes before the interval, but while Jones was unmarked as he met Greenwood’s cross at the back post, he could only slice a wasteful shot wide from eight yards.

Two minutes later, Boro were celebrating taking the lead despite still having failed to record an effort on target.

Greenwood swung in a corner from the right, and when Emmanuel Latte Lath failed to make any contact with his attempted header, Ihiekwe could only deflect the ball past James Beadle and into his own net.

Ihiekwe’s bad day might well have got worse two minutes after the break, but while the defender looked to have caught O’Brien in the area, the referee waved away Boro’s spot-kick appeals.

O’Brien saw a shot blocked as Boro continued to press for a second goal, while at the other end Wednesday substitute Djeidi Gassama wasted a decent opening as he completely missed his kick while attempting to sweep home Pol Valentin’s cross.

Latte Lath fired wide midway through the second half, with Beadle saving from Greenwood a couple of minutes later, but Boro claimed a second goal to make the game safe with 17 minutes remaining.

Luke Ayling released Jones down the right, and the winger’s shot looped beyond Beadle thanks to a hefty deflection off Bannan.

Boro should have added a third goal with nine minutes left after Bannan was penalised for handling Ayling’s cross, but Greenwood’s side-footed penalty rebounded off the base of the left-hand post.

Michael Carrick revealed details of Middlesbrough’s scary 24 hours before securing a late 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing Southampton.

Emmanuel Latte Lath headed in a 90th-minute equaliser after Adam Armstrong had put Saints into the driving seat.

It had come after 70mph winds battered the south coast and forced a hairy two attempts at landing into Southampton Airport on Thursday.

Boro boss Carrick said: “We didn’t get to the hotel until about 10pm last night after our flight was abandoned coming into land.

“We were getting blown all over the place as we were trying to coming into land and then we ended up having to take off again. We almost got diverted to Birmingham.

“It was tasty. Some of the boys were slightly tetchy, it wasn’t pleasant.

“Some of the boys are talking about getting onto the coach on the way back!”

Middlesbrough have 11 injuries, including four centre-backs on the sidelines, which forced midfielder Jonny Howson into the backline.

Howson’s horrifically sliced attempt to clear Kamaldeen Sulemana’s cross gifted Armstrong the opener – his 19th goal of the season and 30th he has been involved with in the league.

“To go 1-0 down and Jonny playing centre-half, it felt like a long day but I’m proud of them,” said Carrick.

“The boys showed what they were capable of against a strong side and with the jabs the boys have had with injuries.

“A lot of teams have had injuries but it has been a revolving door. The boys have adapted unbelievably well.

“I am so so pleased with the boys. We felt we deserved something from the game. I enjoyed watching it. I was desperate for the boys to get something after their effort.”

Ivorian striker Latte Lath’s late header was his 10th of the season and made Saints pay after Che Adams missed a series of gilt-edged chances.

“Che will be frustrated he hasn’t scored,” said Southampton manager Russell Martin. “But it isn’t the reason we lose.

“We still need to defend properly and win the game 1-0.

“I’m really disappointed and frustrated. We should have scored three or four goals. If you aren’t going to score enough to win it you need to defend with your lives.

“The goal is rubbish, it is nowhere near as good a chance as any of ours but he has taken it well.

“We created a lot of chances and on another day we win with a lot of goals but we couldn’t get that next goal and it really hurt us.

“What better way to take out our frustration than on Monday in a really big game (away at promotion rivals Ipswich).

“The lads are annoyed. I was so angry straight after the game so I took a bit of time to talk to them because there was an opportunity there, especially with the result at Leicester (who lost 1-0 to Bristol City).

“But there will still be a lot of twists and turns and some crazy results because the end of the season does some crazy things to teams and people feel pressure in strange ways.

“The game on Monday is perfect for us to bounce back and no one needs to build it up at all.

“We will do everything we can to learn from today. Hopefully we can use the frustration and turn it into a positive.”

Emmanuel Latte Lath’s 90th-minute equaliser saved a 1-1 draw for Middlesbrough to puncture Southampton’s Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion ambitions.

Adam Armstrong had seemingly fired Saints towards a 23rd victory of the season with his 30th goal contribution in the Championship this season – more than any other player.

But Ivorian Latte Lath nodded in his 10th goal of the campaign late on to extend Boro’s unbeaten run to five matches.

Saints ended their 20-day break since their last game with a goal inside 12 minutes.

Kamaldeen Sulemana lifted a ball from the left side into the box and it should have been dealt with by makeshift centre-back Jonny Howson – who was forced to fill in at the back with Boro contending with 11 injuries, six of them to defenders.

Howson sliced his attempted clearance to Armstrong, who settled himself before using his composure to slot into the bottom corner for his 19th goal of the season.

Armstrong almost pilfered his 20th two minutes later but his fierce effort was deflected just over.

Boro grew into the half and struck the post in the 28th minute with their first shot of the afternoon. Kyle Walker-Peters had given the ball away in midfield before Finn Azaz rattled the base of the upright.

Isaiah Jones could not find a stretching Latte Lath while Sulemana blazed over to end a first half that promised more.

The second period started like a runaway train as Gavin Bazunu stood strong to deny Latte Lath at one end before Che Adams pounced on Seny Dieng’s parry to put the ball into the net at the other before the flag went up for offside.

Adams then had two gilt-edged chances in two minutes to double Southampton’s lead.

The Scotland international was dinked through by Taylor Harwood-Bellis but took so long to settle himself Dieng had time to position himself to save the eventual shot in the box, then Adams was able to control and turn seven yards out when unmarked but somehow missed the target.

Armstrong was brilliantly denied from close range by Nieng before his follow-up was blocked on the line by Lukas Engel.

Ryan Fraser had a shot parried before Will Smallbone shinned the rebound over as Saints were made to pay for their wastefulness in the dying embers.

Alex Gilbert’s cross from the right was met by Latte Lath, who craned his neck to divert into the bottom corner.

John Eustace says Blackburn have shown they are “ready for the fight” in the Sky Bet Championship relegation battle after a hard-earned goalless draw at Middlesbrough.

It was a sixth draw in eight games for Rovers, who are still waiting for their first win since Eustace took charge – but the manager was delighted with the display at the Riverside and felt his side deserved more.

“I thought we were outstanding,” said Eustace, whose team are three points above the drop zone.

“With and without the ball we were very good, we’ve had a really good week on the training field and I’m really disappointed we didn’t win the game.

“Again, we showed great character in difficult moments. I’m disappointed we didn’t win but delighted we didn’t lose.

“It’s another draw. I want more wins, of course, but you can see the commitment and character in the group.

“The games we’ve had so far, every game we’ve been fully committed and we’ve been unfortunate not to win more games. The fans can see the commitment week in, week out and with a bit of luck we’d have won this game but it just didn’t drop for us at the right times.

“There is pressure on everyone. We have to keep our head, keep positive, don’t get sucked into the negativity. We’ve been in the bottom five or six but it’s important we keep focused and keep believing.

“I haven’t looked at the other scores, I’m just focused on Blackburn and the commitment today was outstanding. We showed we’ll roll our sleeves up and we’re ready for the fight.”

Both sides had their moments at the Riverside, with Sammie Szmodics and Sam Gallagher going close for Blackburn but it was Middlesbrough who went closest when Isaiah Jones hit the bar in the last minute.

Boro are now unbeaten in four and have kept three clean sheets on the bounce but lost ground in the race for the play-offs and are now seven points adrift of the top six.

Head coach Michael Carrick said: “I’m frustrated, really, I think it was one of those games where we needed a moment and couldn’t quite find it, whether it was the pass or the finish.

“There was some alright football in between the boxes and we defended the box alright, but couldn’t quite find the moment.

“I thought we started alright and looked bright and dangerous and had a couple of opportunities that didn’t quite go in for us, then we lacked quality after that and didn’t have the moment to make a difference.

“There’s always a positive. The clean sheet, Seny (Dieng) has had to make a couple of saves but nothing extra special.

“We defended the box pretty well. Of course the clean sheet is important but we hope for more and the point doesn’t do an awful lot. It’s a little one to add to the tally but really it’s winning games that matters.”

John Eustace’s long wait for a first win as Blackburn boss continues after his side ground out a goalless draw at Middlesbrough.

It was a sixth draw in eight games for Rovers since Eustace replaced Jon Dahl Tomasson in the dugout and their third on the bounce – with Blackburn still three points above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.

Middlesbrough are now unbeaten in four league games and have kept three clean sheets on the bounce, but their hopes of a top-six finish are hanging by a thread. Norwich’s win at Stoke means Michael Carrick’s side are now seven points adrift of the play-off places with eight games to play.

Both teams had their moments at the Riverside but lacked the clinical touch needed in front of goal.

Middlesbrough almost made the perfect start when Emmanuel Latte Lath was denied by the feet of Aynsley Pears inside two minutes. And the home side should have taken the lead when a corner from the right was glanced on by Luke Ayling into the path of Marcus Forss, who looked certain to score from just two yards out but somehow missed the target.

Blackburn threatened early on as well, with the Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics unsurprisingly looking the away side’s best route to goal. He saw one low drive well saved by Seny Dieng and had another opening soon after but was denied by a fine slide tackle from Paddy McNair.

Boro were dealt a blow when Forss went off injured and lost their way a bit afterwards, but they almost forced a breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Ayling’s header was blocked on the line by Dominic Hyam.

Sensing an opportunity, Blackburn started to grow in confidence and Sam Gallagher stung the hands of Dieng with a fierce strike from the edge of the area.

Riley McGree scored a stunning winner for Boro at Birmingham on Tuesday night and looked to repeat it here but his shot from distance flashed wide. Defender Matt Clarke then headed wide from a Jonny Howson free-kick.

A Blackburn corner caused Boro problems and, after Scott Wharton’s header was blocked, substitute Tyrhys Dolan looked to turn in the rebound but was crowded out before the hosts managed to scramble clear.

Boro almost snatched a dramatic last-minute winner through Isaiah Jones when his shot was deflected onto the bar and substitute Sammy Silvera miskicked the rebound.