Middlesbrough’s feint hopes of the play-offs were maintained after recording only their third league victory this year against Nottingham Forest at the Riverside.
Mustapha Carayol grabbed the only goal of the contest when receiving from Josh McEachran and firing home just ahead of the interval. That was sufficient to leave his side currently six points short of the top-six in the table with only three games remaining.
Manager Tony Mowbray earlier decided on making five changes and soon witnessed Jason Steele producing an excellent stop from Billy Sharp during a bright opening for the visitors.
His opposite number Karl Darlow then dealt capably with Scott McDonald’s 25-yard effort while on loan Sammy Ameobi had a shot charged down ahead of Forest striker Sharp once again the threat when heading wide.
But it was Boro surging in front just before half-time as Carayol reacted first inside the area and drilled across Darlow to open the scoring.
At the start of the second period there was a change of referee with Billy Khatib replacing Mark Heywood. He oversaw the visitors again pushing hard for a reply, although McDonald badly mis-kicked and substitute Faris Haroun was later denied by a timely block.
Haroun also hoisted over following decent work from Richie Smallwood before a superb break from Carayol ended with his finish drifting wide.
Meanwhile, substitute Dexter Blackstock volleyed dangerously across goal at the other end and Henri Lansbury also struck a fierce 25-yard effort over.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Bikey, R. Williams, Halliday, Dyer (Reach 90), McEachran (Bailey 63), Smallwood, Ameobi (Haroun 70), Carayol, McDonald
subs (unused): Leutwiler, McManus, Emnes, Main
Goals: Carayol (42)
Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Hutchinson (Jara 70), Halford, Ward, Guedioura (Majewski 58), Cohen, McGugan, Reid (Blackstock 78), Lansbury, Cox, Sharp
subs (unused): Evtimov, Collins, Moussi, Tudgay
Ref: M. Heywood
Att: 13,861
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