Cardiff City 1-3 Middlesbrough: Boro too strong to keep up promotion push

Since Michael Carrick's first league game in charge in October, only Burnley (36) and Sheffield United (35) have gained more Championship points than Middlesbrough (34).

Middlesbrough kept up their promotion push with a deserved 3-1 win at Cardiff City Stadium.

Marcus Forss' powerful finish gave Boro a 17th-minute lead as the visitors were rewarded for a dominant start.

Cardiff equalised when Zack Steffen gave the ball away, allowing Sory Kaba to score his first Bluebirds goal.

Cameron Archer put Boro ahead before the break, before Riley McGree rattled home a third in stoppage time to cap a fine performance from Middlesbrough.

The victory saw Boro retain third place in the Championship, but Sheffield United's win over Cardiff's bitter rivals Swansea meant Michael Carrick's side failed to make up any ground on the automatic promotion spots.

They will travel to Bramall Lane for their next league game on Wednesday 10 points behind the Blades, but with a game in hand.

Cardiff are in a relegation battle, but remain outside the drop zone, with the Bluebirds extending their winless run to 14 games.

The size of the task for Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi is becoming increasingly clear as he bids to keep the Bluebirds in the Championship, with his team just a point off bottom spot with all three rivals below them having played one game fewer.

Lamouchi is still searching for a first positive result since becoming the the club's third manager of the season and Cardiff always looked likely to fall to defeat in this one, despite a spirited second-half display.

Middlesbrough have loftier aspirations this term as the seek a return to the Premier League and a large travelling away following almost saw their side go ahead on four minutes, but Forss fired over after a neat build-up.

Goals have been at a premium for Cardiff all season, with the club finding the net only 21 times in 30 league games ahead of this one and Boro took early command.

Their possession paid dividends when they capped a flowing move with a deserved opener as McGree and Archer combined to feed Forss who fired into the roof of the net.

The goal was no more than the visitors deserved, but they gifted Cardiff an equaliser when Steffen's casual pass was intercepted by Callum Robinson who squared for Kaba to tap home in his first start.

McGree missed a fine chance to restore the visitors' lead on 34 minutes when he fired wide.

But Boro went back in front when Hayden Hackney collected from Callum O'Dowda's wayward pass and sent Archer clear, with the forward showing fine composure to round Ryan Allsop and apply the finish.

Joe Ralls' dipping effort forced Steffen to save, but Middlesbrough almost added a third before the break only for Forss' powerful header from a Ryan Giles cross rattled the upright.

The Bluebirds did their best to find another equaliser after the interval, but Kaba's acrobatic volley flew wide and Robinson fired over with a sharp opportunity.

Cardiff should have levelled just past the hour mark, but Cedric Kipre headed into the ground and over the crossbar and Andy Rinomhota's long-range effort flew past the post.

The game should have been settled on 77 minutes, but Chuba Akpom inexplicably hit the post with a close-range opportunity.

However, McGree showed greater composure as he turned home Matt Crooks' cross in the final minute.

Cardiff City manager Sabri Lamouchi told BBC Radio Wales:

"Obviously for my first home game I was expecting a different result, but Middlesbrough are a good team fighting for promotion and they have good quality.

"We gave them the first goal and after we equalised, exactly the same, we gave them a goal.

"In the second half we competed more and did everything to come back into the game, but unfortunately it was not enough.

"The opponent was better than us, they played with more confidence and more quality. They probably deserved the three points."

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick said:

"Really pleased, we knew it would be a hard game and we expected it, but we were ready for it.

"It was a game of two halves in terms of our style. In the first half we played some of the best stuff since I came here.

"In the second half we had to dig in, but the boys who came off the bench made a really big difference for us.

"I was proud of the efforts the boys put in and they got their reward. The way we responded to giving the goal away was pleasing - in the end I am really happy."