Middlesbrough 2-0 Coventry: Boro continue unbeaten run with late goals
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Britt Asssombalonga was denied by Marko Marosi before finally beating him late on
Britt Assombalonga and Djed Spence struck late on to help Middlesbrough break a dogged Coventry City side and extend the Teessiders' unbeaten run to seven games.
Neil Warnock's side dominated possession for large parts of the game but had to be patient in creating the golden opening, as a well organised Sky Blues side stood firm until the late breakthrough.
Boro's Marcus Tavernier rapped a first-half shot at goalkeeper Marko Marosi, one of few genuine chances in the opening 45 minutes as the visitors provided a formidable barrier.
Sam Morsy hit the bar, via a deflection, as the hosts upped the work-rate in search of an opener, but intricate efforts to break through continued to break down thanks to fine defensive work from Dominic Hyam, Leo Ostigaard and Kyle McFadzean.
The goal that finally came with 10 minutes to go was from a more direct route, as Morsy picked a perfect pass through the middle and Assombalonga kept his cool to guide the ball past Marosi for his first of the season.
With six minutes of added time, Coventry rallied for a late fightback but an interception by Morsy gave George Saville the chance to push forward and Spence hurdled the diving goalkeeper before rolling the ball into an empty net to ensure a fourth defeat in five for the visitors.
Having failed to win since September's 3-2 success against QPR, and on the back of a 4-0 thrashing by Blackburn, Coventry's decision to opt for defensive solidity over attacking flow meant a tough evening for striker Matty Godden - who was left isolated at times.
Playmaker Gustavo Hamer was denied time and space on his return from suspension, as Morsy and Jonny Howson patrolled the midfield with dominance.
Jamie Allen and Ryan Giles showed some cool touches, as City pushed the ball around neatly in possession in spells, but Marcus Bettinelli was rarely troubled in the Boro goal.
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock told 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio Tees:
"We had the chances to open them up and missed a few good chances, we created quite a lot tonight.
"I thought it was vital tonight. No disrespect, but Reading, Bristol City, Cardiff, they take of themselves, nights like tonight, a Tuesday night, no fans in, a cold night, Coventry coming up here after being beaten at the weekend, it's going to be tough, it's going to be as tough as they get.
"It wasn't about the performance, it was about the result, but to play some good football as well is a bonus for us."
Coventry boss Mark Robins told 麻豆官网首页入口 Coventry & Warwickshire:
"I don't think we deserved anything.
"While we worked hard, I'm still looking for us to have a go. Just have a go. When are we really going to believe that we can get something from a game?
"We're at this level because we've earned the right to be at this level, but then we have to look at having a real good go to get to the level we need to get to.
"There's mitigating factors in that we haven't played for six months. I'm not looking for excuses, I'm looking for reasons. We're playing catch up. They've played half a season almost, 18 games, we've played eight games."