Queens Park Rangers 0-3 Middlesbrough
- Published
George Friend had not scored for Middlesbrough since 2 January 2016
George Friend scored his first goal for two years as Middlesbrough gave manager Tony Pulis his second league win since taking charge by beating QPR.
Full-back Friend fired home from 25 yards after fellow defender Daniel Ayala gave them the lead with a header.
Rangers had won their two previous league games but only tested keeper Darren Randolph once in the first half.
Darnell Furlong headed a chance to cut the deficit wide after the break and Adama Traore made it three late on.
Boro, who have now won all 13 games this season in which they have taken the lead, move up to eighth in the table, just two points adrift of the top six, with QPR slipping to 16th.
There was little between the sides until Ben Gibson flicked on Adama Traore's corner and Ayala nodded in at the far post.
And Rangers were still absorbing that setback when Friend received the ball from Stewart Downing and beat Alex Smithies with a left-foot drive.
Ian Holloway sent on Matt Smith and Osayi Bright-Samuel at the interval, but they could not find a way through the visitors' defence and Traore sealed the win with an angled shot for his first Boro goal.
QPR boss Ian Holloway:
"In the first 15 minutes we were causing them all sorts of trouble and I can assure you that Tony Pulis, who's a friend of mine, wasn't too happy.
"But unfortunately we got undone by a corner, which they're brilliant at and we're normally good at.
"We lost a flick at the near post and then Ayala is standing there and heads it in. It's a mountain to climb after that."
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis:
"As soon as we got a goal we then went on and deservedly won the game.
"For the players to put in that kind of performance and show that bit of character, I'm really pleased.
"We played some good stuff at times, created opportunities, and when we had to roll our sleeves up and battle we restricted them to not many opportunities."