Middlesbrough moved up to fifth in the table with teenager Marcus Tavernier’s early finish accounting for managerless neighbours Sunderland at the Riverside.
The eighteen-year-old turned in his first league goal at the near post after Stewart Downing had released Martin Braithwaite on six minutes.
Home goalkeeper Darren Randolph had already previously denied Didier Ndong and then Lewis Grabban’s follow-up.
Republic of Ireland international Randolph also superbly thwarted Billy Jones’ diving header, although the player was subsequently ruled offside.
Aiden McGeady was next too high from around twenty-yards for the visitors, while Britt Assombalonga replied low at Robbin Ruiter before the interval.
On loan Bournemouth striker Grabban headed wide following the restart before Braithwaite once again called upon Ruiter, who later parried Downing’s edge-of-the-box free-kick.
Former Celtic winger McGeady then struck into the side-netting for the visitors as the contest entered its closing ten minutes.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Howson, Leadbitter (Forshaw 85), Downing, Braithwaite, Tavernier (Johnson 64), Assombalonga (Fletcher 81)
subs (unused): Konstantopoulos, Fabio, Shotton, Traore
Goals: Tavernier (6)
Sunderland: Ruiter, Jones (Matthews 27), Wilson, O’Shea, Oviedo, Gibson, Cattermole, McNair (Williams 77), Ndong (Honeyman 55), McGeady, Grabban
subs (unused): Steele, Rodwell, McManaman, Gooch
Ref: J. Simpson
Att: 29,277
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