Birmingham City 1-3 Middlesbrough: Matt Crooks double helps Boro to victory
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Matt Crooks moved on to six goals this season with his quick-fire double, while nine of Chuba Akpom's 13 strikes this season have come since Michael Carrick took charge
Matt Crooks scored two goals and set up another as Middlesbrough beat Birmingham City to record a sixth win in seven games and move back into the Championship play-off places.
Boro went ahead 12 minutes into the second half when an unmarked Crooks headed in at the back post to convert Jonny Howson's deep cross from the right flank.
Two minutes later, the former Rotherham midfielder doubled the lead after pouncing on a poor touch by Blues defender George Friend and guiding the ball past goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Tahith Chong gave the Blues hope with 16 minutes remaining with a header from close range after Auston Trusty nodded a Troy Deeney cross back across goal.
But in-form Chuba Akpom made the points safe with five minutes left with his ninth goal in 10 games since Michael Carrick took over as boss, latching onto Crooks' pass and rounding Ruddy before slotting in.
Victory took Boro up to fifth place, ahead of Millwall and Luton on goal difference, while Birmingham drop to 17th after a third successive defeat.
In a first half of few clear chances, Akpom had a header deflected wide in the opening 20 minutes, while Birmingham frontman Lukas Jutkiewicz sent a long-range volley narrowly over just before the break.
Ruddy denied Marcus Forss soon after the restart after the Finland international had been found with a long pass forward, before Blues midfielder Krystian Bielik planted a header wide.
Crooks opened the scoring soon after, making no error from Howson's cross. The Blues defence was then swiftly undone again by another ball from the back when former Boro man Friend mis-controlled and allowed Crooks to scamper in behind and beat Ruddy.
Blues boss John Eustace responded with a quadruple substitution and Deeney, one of those introduced, played a big part in their goal when his deep cross from the right-hand side of the box was kept alive by Trusty and converted by Chong.
Yet Boro sealed all three points with five minutes left after Crooks burst forward and released Akpom with a threaded through-ball, as Carrick registered a seventh win in 10 league games since his appointment in October.
Birmingham boss John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:
"It has been a very challenging week, but this is not any easy job. We had a fantastic first half of the season but the squad has been really tested with injures.
"We were good first half. We were very solid, but in the second half Middlesbrough's qualities just came through.
"It was a bit too much for some of the boys but I can't fault the effort, desire and attitude. We have to move on together and get ready to go on again.
"The way the fans stuck behind us right to the end was really pleasing. Everyone knows it will take time to turn it around fully and we need to stick together."
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"I'm absolutely delighted with the result as it's always a tough place to come, whatever team I've played for.
"We played some terrific football and got good goals when we needed them and killed the game off.
"They are a good team and well organised and make it difficult for you. I was so pleased the way we got control of the game and played the way we want to play.
"Things are going well at the moment but we need to keep improving, keep pushing and keep getting better."