Middlesbrough 2-0 Peterborough United: Two late goals earn Boro win

Paddy McNair struck from the spot as Boro found their groove late on

Middlesbrough left it late to overcome struggling Peterborough as Paddy McNair and Josh Coburn netted to settle an otherwise unremarkable Championship game.

Northern Ireland international McNair had his shirt pulled in the box with five minutes to go, prompting referee John Busby to point to the spot, and keeper David Cornell was sent the wrong way.

Substitute Coburn added a second in injury time, connecting with Martin Payero's centre to condemn Posh to a sixth straight away defeat.

The Teessiders had the better of the game up to their final five-minutes flurry but looked as though they would have to share the spoils.

Onel Hernandez's shot being cleared off the line in first-half stoppage time was as close as they came despite plenty of effort from their attack, while Posh failed to register a shot on target in reply.

Home boss Neil Warnock had seen Boro lose three of their past four games going into the visit of second-bottom Peterborough, so this result will ease some of his immediate pressures.

However, while there was no faulting the endeavour of his forwards, who grafted and crafted without reward, Andraz Sporar, Hernandez, Marcus Tavernier, Uche Ikpeazu and Duncan Watmore all toiled against a Posh side with 23 goals scored against them before this game.

Peterborough's goal lived a charmed life until the late penalty award which finally sunk them.

In terms of their response, Sammie Szmodics tried to take the fight to the hosts, while Jorge Grant had a header sail over the top.

All too often though they lacked a cutting edge to go with some tidy play.

Only Derby's points deduction keeps Posh off the foot of the table, as they seek to avoid an immediate League One return this season.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock told BBC Tees:

"It's been as difficult a 48 hours I've ever known. I'm really proud of the lads today. everybody put a shift in, I've asked players to play out of position and nobody moaned, nobody complained.

"The longer the game went on the better we got and the goals were the reward.

"We just wanted to try to impress too much, players wanting a touch or trying a silly ball. Whereas second-half we were more measured, we looked a lot more dangerous and we had some good chances."

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:

"It was there for the taking. You could see the way the game was going, we were in control for large parts, but the quality wasn't there in the final third attack-wise.

"We had many opportunities to pick them off, it was the final ball, final weight of pass, final decision. It wasn't good enough.

"Whether it's a penalty or not, I don't know, but he's given it and if you keep wasting opportunities like we did. At times we were four versus three. That's the reason why I felt we lost the game."