Middlesbrough 0-2 Birmingham City: Marc Roberts and Scott Hogan fire Blues to away win
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Marc Roberts claimed his second league goal of the season
Birmingham City ended Middlesbrough's three-match winning run in the Championship with two goals in three second-half minutes at the Riverside Stadium.
Boro bossed a cagey first half, in which Jonny Howson went closest when his shot was pushed away by Blues goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
But City went ahead soon after the break with their first attempt on target, Marc Roberts heading into an empty net after Boro goalkeeper Joe Lumley charged out but missed Jordan Graham's free-kick.
Scott Hogan quickly doubled the lead, running on to a simple ball over the Boro defence before coolly slotting past Lumley to give Blues back-to-back victories - as well as a seventh clean sheet in 15 league games this season.
Middlesbrough, who had chalked up three consecutive 2-0 wins, posed the biggest threat before the break, but neither goalkeeper was seriously tested.
Uche Ikpeazu had one of the better chances, flicking a header wide from Onel Hernandez's cross, but hobbled off before the break to be replaced by Duncan Watmore.
Birmingham had failed to score in four successive away trips, but Roberts was gifted Blues' first league goal on the road since 28 August when Lumley charged out of his goal but did not get near Graham's free-kick into the box.
Out of nowhere Lee Bowyer's side then had a two-goal lead when Boro's defensive shortcomings were exposed, allowing City's leading scorer Hogan to take one touch before dispatching his fourth league goal of the season.
Boro pushed for a way back into the match, but did not manage an effort on target in the second half as they slipped to just a third defeat in their last 15 meetings with Birmingham.
Middlesbrough drop down to 11th in a tight Championship table, while Blues climb to 14th.
Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock told BBC Tees:
"We played some good stuff and should have gone in front, but the first goal was going to be vital and Uche's header was a great chance.
"We broke at pace, and I was really excited, but we have to score when we're on the front foot and we couldn't do that and consequently got punished. I don't think they beat us, We beat ourselves.
"Games like this against physical teams, They had more men than us and more experience but, if that first goal goes in we go and win, so we shouldn't get too carried away."
Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer told BBC Radio WM:
"They didn't really trouble us. It was a very professional away performance.
"I'm really pleased for Scott Hogan because it's been hard for him. He's missed a few, but he's not been hiding. He's putting himself in that situation time and time again and he got his reward.
"Seven clean sheets in this division is not easy to do, All the lads were very good, but the three centre-halves, whatever they threw at us, they mopped it up."