Middlesbrough's promotion push suffered a blow as they were held to a third successive home league draw as Callum Chambers' fine goal earned relegation threatened Cardiff City a point at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough took the lead with their first attack of the match as Emmanuel Latte Lath fired home from close-range to score his 10th league goal of the season.
Cardiff levelled through an unlikely source as Chambers fired home a sumptuous effort from the edge of the penalty area as he scored his first Bluebirds goal.
The hosts always looked the most likely side to find a winner but were held by a stubborn performance from the Welsh club, who remain in the Championship relegation zone.
This will certainly be a result that pleases the visitors more than the hosts with both clubs having very different ambitions for the remainder of the season.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick made three changes from their last-gasp 1-0 win at Hull City on New Year's Day, with Liverpool loanee Ben Doak one of the players recalled in a week where Liverpool reportedly received bids from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town for the 19-year old.
Cardiff were without a recognised forward after losing an appeal over the red card Callum Robinson received in the Bluebirds' 1-1 draw with Coventry City.
Middlesbrough had won six of their last season league games against Cardiff including the last four and they took the lead with Doak central to the goal as his fine run and cross was well converted at the near post by Latte Lath.
Cardiff might have led themselves after Ollie Tanner forced Tom Glover to save at full stretch in the opening minutes and Tanner was key to Cardiff's equaliser as 'Boro failed to fully clear the ball and Chambers swept home emphatically from the edge of the penalty area.
Opportunities were at a premium despite the hosts being on top, with Cardiff protecting their goal admirably with some last-ditch defending as Chambers' first goal since March 2022 earned them parity at half-time.
Cardiff were defending for their lives as they looked to move out of the Championship relegation zone and they might have led from a set-piece, but Dimitrios Goutas could not find the target with a header.
However, it was the hosts who were applying the pressure with Doak the most likely source of a goal, another excellent run and cross on 62 minutes was begging for a finish, but evaded everyone in a crowded Cardiff penalty area.
Substitute Isaiah Jones hit the side-netting as the hosts looked to avoid a third successive home draw – for the first time since February 2020 – and they were again denied on 74 minutes as Latte Lath's header was brilliantly saved by Jak Alnwick.
Cardiff had a chance to find an unlikely winner in a rare attacking moment on 78 minutes, but Rubin Colwill headed wide after finding space between Middlesbrough's central defenders.
The hosts pushed for a winner as the clock ticked down on a freezing afternoon, but Cardiff held firm.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees Sport:
"It wasn't to be today and it should have been really, I think with the position we got ourselves in first half, we looked more dangerous without really threatening the goal enough.
"I thought we looked more dangerous and had moments around the box but final pass and a couple of offsides. I am disappointed in our performance in the second half.
"There wasn't much space but we needed to find a way and to be better.
"The hard bit is defending right and not giving any chances away… the rest of it didn't fall into place for us."
Cardiff City boss Omer Riza told BBC Radio Wales Sport:
"Every point is important, we've said this before, whatever you pick up can help us to get out the position we are in, hopefully.
"It is a tough place to come against an excellent side, we managed to contain them with some real resilience, we got a fair point in the end.
"I think it was a deserved point in the end, if you don't allow the opposition to score goals.
"We could have had a goal at the end as well, but I think that would have been a bit unfair on Middlesbrough."
