In-form striker Patrick Bamford scored for the fourth successive game to complete a well-earned 1-0 victory at former manager Garry Monk’s Birmingham City.
That was sufficient to move Boro up to sixth place in the table and back into the play-offs, a single point ahead of Bristol City.
The winner arrived six minutes from the break when Bamford turned in Adama Traore’s delivery from the left.
Both Craig Gardner and Maikel Kieftenbeld had earlier called Boro keeper Darren Randolph into sharp action.
But Bamford then increased his recent tally to seven goals in just four games when converting at the far post.
Meanwhile, Stewart Downing also shot wide from the edge of the area after the break having already been too high earlier in the contest.
At the other end, Sam Gallagher was twice off target for the hosts as their opponents remained firm on their way to maximum points.
Birmingham City: Stockdale, Jenkinson, Morrison, Dean, Colin, Gardner, Kieftenbeld, Jota, Maghoma, Adams (Boga 75), Jutkiewicz (Gallagher 60)
subs (unused): Roberts, Bramall, Ndoye, Lowe, Kuszczak
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Shotton (Cranie 71), Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Clayton, Besic, Traore (Baker 83), Howson, Downing, Bamford (Assombalonga 77)
subs (unused): Konstantopoulos, Fry, Johnson, Harrison
Goals: Bamford (39)
Ref: S. Martin
Att: 18,301
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