Goals either side of the interval were enough as Middlesbrough accounted for fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at the Riverside.
Martin Braithwaite provided their opener just before the break and Patrick Bamford improved upon that early in the second-half.
Boro had earlier gone close to making the breakthrough when defender Ben Gibson slid in on Stewart Downing’s free-kick.
Downing was again the provider as Fabio volleyed into the side-netting, while Britt Assombalonga forced Bartosz Bialkowski into a low save with the interval fast approaching.
However, there was still enough time for the hosts to move ahead when Braithwaite drove in from six-yards following Grant Ward’s attempted clearance.
That was increased early in the second period after the recalled Bamford cut inside and struck into the bottom corner from around twenty-yards.
Goalscorer Bamford was soon threatening to send in Assombalonga for another, until Jonas Knudsen’s recovering challenge came to the rescue.
Boro’s record buy Assombalonga later headed over Cyrus Christie’s delivery from the right as his colleagues confidently moved above their opponents in the table.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Fabio, Howson, Leadbitter (Forshaw 90), Bamford (Gestede 80), Braithwaite, Downing (Johnson 77), Assombalonga
subs (unused): Konstantopoulos, Friend, Fry, Traore
Goals: Braithwaite (44), Bamford (51)
Ipswich Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers, Webster, Knudsen, Connolly, Skuse, Ward (Bishop 61), Huws (Garner 46), Celina (Sears 61), Waghorn
subs (unused): Iorfa, Downes, Crowe, Kenlock
Ref: R. Jones
Att: 22,989
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