By Alan Biggs for MailOnline
Published: 14:55 GMT, 17 February 2019 | Updated: 20:59 GMT, 17 February 2019
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Middlesbrough tightened their grip on the play-offs without turning the screw enough to completely satisfy their manager.
And although Tony Pulis rightly pinpointed what he called Boro’s ‘Achilles heel’ in their promotion quest, Tony Mowbray put a proverbial boot into Blackburn.
Again, it was warranted as the Rovers boss bemoaned ‘a lack of fight, desire, energy and quality’ in a match-defining first half.
Britt Assombalonga headed in from very close range after Ashley Fletcher's cross-shot
Assombalonga celebrates with Fletcher after giving Middlesbrough the lead on 19 minutes
Boro celebrate going in front at Ewood Park as they look to stay in the promotion race
Blackburn (4-2-3-1): Raya; Bennett, Mulgrew, Rodwell (Nyambe 46), Williams; Evans (Travis 46), Reed; Brereton (Bell 46), Dack, Armstrong; Graham
Unused subs: Leutwiler, Conway, Smallwood, Nuttall
Booking: Rodwell 33
Red card: Williams 45
Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Randolph; Howson, Shotton, Fry, Friend (McNair 60); Mikel, Besic (Downing 73), Saville, Wing; Assombalonga, Fletcher (Hugill 80)
Unused subs: Dimi, Clayton, Tavernier, van la Parra, Hugill
Goal: Assombalonga 19
Boro reached the break with Britt Assombalonga’s winning goal and Blackburn further depleted by the sending-off of Derrick Williams.
The fact that the 10 men offered much more threat than the 11 fuelled rather than tempered Mowbray’s criticism after a fourth straight defeat.
Pulis was not entirely happy either, despite seeing his side over-ride the loss of key defenders Daniel Ayala and Aden Flint to climb above Bristol City into fifth place.
‘After 27 shots and only one goal we’ve got to be more
