Rovers captain Lewis Travis celebrates Blackburn's winner at Riverside Stadium, scored by Dom Hyam
Blackburn Rovers put the brakes on free-scoring Middlesbrough, winning a hard-fought Championship contest with a late goal from defender Dom Hyam.
After scoring 15 goals in their previous three games, Michael Carrick's Boro could not have approached the match in hotter goalscoring form.
Yet it was Rovers who took the three points at Riverside Stadium, first by frustrating Boro with a well-organised defensive display and then grabbing victory through Hyam's well-worked 77th-minute winner.
John Eustace's Rovers dented Boro's promotion push and boosted their own hopes, moving to within two points of their hosts who remain sixth.
The visitors were good value for the win, too, despite coming under severe pressure in the second half.
For all the home side's threat and possession, it was Rovers who created the clearer chances, twice finding the net - only for the first, Todd Cantwell's finish on 72 minutes, to be correctly ruled offside.
Five minutes later, Rovers produced the move of the match with Cantwell and Liverpool loanee Owen Beck combining brilliantly with a one-two inside the box and Hyam sliding in to meet the former Norwich man's delivery from close range.
Boro, who felt the defender had strayed offside before sliding the ball home, will still wonder how they did not convert second-half pressure into a goal, with Ben Doak a constant threat.
Yet, after scoring six times at Oxford on Saturday, putting five past Luton in the previous game and netting four goals against QPR in the match before that, accuracy and composure in front of goal deserted them here.
Boro had been fortunate not to be down a man early in the game, Riley McGree catching Yuki Ohashi flush on the ankle at pace with a studs-up challenge after losing control of the ball midway inside his own half.
Referee James Bell had good sight of it and chose to show a yellow card.
Blackburn, who shaded the first period, should have taken the lead when Tyrhys Dolan missed a golden opportunity to head home from six yards from Sondre Tronstad's perfectly flighted cross.
For Boro, Emmanuel Latte Lath had their best chance of the opening period with a header which sailed wide two minutes before the break, while Neto Borges did likewise five minutes after it, fluffing Doak's perfect invitation at the near post.
The Scotland international looked Boro's best chance of scoring and he hit the outside of the post from a tightening angle with 10 minutes to go.
But that was as close as they came and Blackburn held firm as the minutes ticked down.
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"It was an offside goal which was pretty obvious which was the difference. But aside from that we couldn't quite find that opening and kill them off.
"It shows how well we've played of late. While a point would have been a point, to lose the game on a goal that was not a goal is pretty hard to take.
"We could have chased the game a little bit better and put a bit more pressure on them towards the end, but it was a sticky game where we weren't quite at our best and couldn't quite find the answer."
Blackburn manager John Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"Obviously I'm very proud of the performance.
"In the first half we played some really good stuff, even if we just lacked that clinical finish in the final third. In the second half we were always going to be under pressure against a team who have scored a lot of goals lately.
"But we defended really well and then scored a fantastic goal. They are evolving and growing as a group. To come here and go about this the way they did was very pleasing.
"We went on a bad run of three defeats in a row but we have bounced back with two really good performances. We just have to keep believing in what we are doing.
"Andreas Weimann was out tonight and unfortunately will be missing for a few weeks. He has been playing with a knee injury but he needs to get things right and will need a few weeks off."
