Middlesbrough 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Ryan Yates' freak own goal helps Boro win
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Ryan Yates (middle) holds his head after his backpass beat goalkeeper Brice Samba to give the home side the lead
A freak own goal from Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates set Middlesbrough on their way to a victory that moved them into the Championship's top six.
The home side were totally dominant in the first 45 minutes but took the lead in highly unusual fashion when Yates overhit a backpass to goalkeeper Brice Samba and the ball ended up in the net.
Forest improved after the break and should have levelled when Philip Zinckernagel blazed over from close range.
Andraz Sporar smashed home on the rebound, after Samba had parried a cross out into the middle of the goal, before Reds substitute Xande Silva saw a shot come back off the post as Forest nearly set up a dramatic finale.
Both sides came into the match in excellent recent form and the match, just one of two Championship games to go ahead on 26 December because of Covid-19 cases, did not disappoint.
The visitors were unbeaten in nine but struggled to cope with the home side's energy, and it was Boro's high pressing that forced the mistake for the opener.
Jonny Howson put Yates under pressure 25 yards from goal and the Reds midfielder hit a blind pass back to Samba that the keeper could not prevent crossing the line.
Boro took total control after that and Forest were indebted to two fine saves from Samba to deny Sporar, while Onel Hernandez's deflected effort flew just over the top with the keeper well beaten.
Chris Wilder's men should have taken at least a 2-0 lead into the break but Isaiah Jones saw a shot come back off the outside of the post from Neil Taylor's deep cross.
They were nearly made to pay for their profligacy when Brennan Johnson progressed well down the inside right and teed up Zinckernagel, but the Dane sent his shot high over the crossbar.
That spurred Forest on, and Joe Worrall flicked a header just over the bar from another Johnson cross as they looked to protect their unbeaten run.
However, Middlesbrough did get their second goal, albeit against the run of play, when Matt Crooks' low cross was parried out by Samba and Sporar was on hand to slam home the loose ball.
Forest kept plugging away and nearly reduced the arrears late on when Silva's shot hit the post and went to safety, as the home side claimed a fourth win in five games.
Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder:
"To get a result and a performance was great for everybody. I've been here when it's been full, watching, but never been involved at the coal face. It was fabulous. It was electric.
"I know we can't replicate that all the time - obviously Boxing Day is a special day for everybody to come and watch football - but if we can carry on pulling the punters in with the way we play, then that will be great.
"What that does to the players is fabulous. It gives them the energy to keep going and allows them to dominate, as they did against a really good side. I think we did that, especially in the first half.
"They are a good side and we had to get the press right. They stretched us a bit for 10 or 15 minutes in the second half, which you would expect from an excellent side and a really good manager like Steve (Cooper)."
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper:
"In terms of both the result and the performance we fell short today. In the first half especially, there were a number of reasons why we were second best.
"We still gave away a goal that you didn't expect to, but the message at half-time was that as poor as we had been, it was still only 1-0.
"We changed a few things tactically and to be fair, we did slowly come back into the game. We've missed a brilliant chance and momentum was maybe coming our way a little bit, but then we conceded the second goal and it was too much of a mountain to climb from then."