Returning midfielder Faris Haroun scored twice but Middlesbrough were still reliant on a late winner from substitute Ishmael Miller after bottom club Peterborough United fought back from two-goals down at London Road.
The Belgian international claimed his brace inside the opening twenty minutes before on loan striker Dwight Gayle matched his tally at the other end. But Miller struck with just fourteen minutes remaining to keep the visitors in third place in the table and just three points outside automatic promotion.
Haroun began the scoring on nine minutes when slipping his finish past Bobby Olejnik after Scott McDonald had linked up well with Emmanuel Ledesma following a rapid break forward.
And eleven minutes later he was to do it again by converting across the Austrian Under-21 international goalkeeper to extend the visitors’ lead from Stuart Parnaby’s inviting cross.
But Posh continued to offer signs of a comeback and when Gayle turned and fired past Jason Steele with eight minutes of the first-half remaining they suddenly found a foothold back into the contest. That almost increased as George Thorne flashed another effort narrowly wide before Gayle forced Steele to block with his legs shortly after the break.
However, from the subsequent corner Peterborough were back level when Michael Bostwick’s header from Lee Tomlin’s delivery was blocked and Gayle snapped up the rebound to find the net from close-range.
Tommy Rowe then shot wide with the visitors temporarily reduced to ten-men after Grant Leadbitter departed the action for treatment, while two-goal Gayle also headed over before Miller struck within three minutes of his introduction, courtesy of a low finish after being found by fellow substitute Richard Smallwood.
Home keeper Olejnik later denied both Miller and Ledesma in quick succession during added time as their side held on to take maximum points and claim only their second win in five games.
Peterborough United: Olejnik, Zakuani, Little, Bostwick, Rowe (Ferdinand 78), Newell, Knight-Percival (Swanson 90), Thorne, Tomlin, Boyd, Gayle
subs (unused): Day, Alcock, Brisley, McCann, Kearns
Goals: Gayle (37, 52)
Middlesbrough: Steele, Parnaby, Bikey, Woodgate, Halliday, Leadbitter, McEachran (Thomson 78), Haroun (Smallwood 69), Emnes (Miller 73), Ledesma, McDonald
subs (unused): Leutwiler, Hines, Bailey, Jutkiewicz
Goals: Haroun (9, 20), Miller (76)
Ref: C. Berry
Att: 6,612
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