Boro overcome Edwards' pending exit to sink Birmingham

Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards was absent from the game ahead of a possible move to Wolves

Middlesbrough shrugged off the potential loss of manager Rob Edwards to put the brakes on Birmingham City's recent resurgence.

Two first-half first goals - from Teessiders Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney - put a smile on the face of Edwards' assistant Adi Viveash, who was asked to take charge of the match.

Wolves had been given permission by Boro to speak to their manager prior to kick-off, leaving Viveash to take the reins.

Birmingham arrived in the North-East on the back of two 4-0 home victories over Portsmouth and Millwall but, despite enjoying their fair share of chances, had only Demarai Gray's 29th-minute strike to show for their efforts.

Victory for the hosts ended a tumultuous week that started with a heavy defeat by Watford at Vicarage Road, saw a last-gasp equaliser at Leicester City in midweek and finished with three points after their manager had asked to leave.

Boro issued a statement two hours before kick-off, confirming Edwards was free to talk to the ailing Black Country Premier League club after compensation had been agreed.

Hayden Hackney's goal gave Middlesbrough the win to end a turbulent week at the club

Viveash, along with first-team coach Harry Watling and academy manager Craig Liddle, stepped into the void in the dugout.

And Boro got off to the perfect start when skipper Fry put them in front in the 17th minute, finishing off from Callum Brittain's corner.

But Birmingham hit back just before the half-hour mark.

Alex Cochrane's corner on the right was met at the near post by Marvin Ducksch, with the ball travelling into the air.

When it came down at the far post, Gray was on hand to force the ball home, registering his third goal of the season.

But Middlesbrough took the lead deep into first-half injury time when Hackney supplied a neat, flicked finish to Aidan Morris' hopeful shot.

Birmingham enjoyed chances after the break - with Sol Brynn denying Jay Stansfield shortly after the restart in what turned out to the visitors' best effort to draw level.

'It's been a rollercoaster' - Viveash

Middlesbrough assistant manager Ali Viveash told BBC Radio Tees:

"Today was about the players and the fans and they dovetailed together, they suffered together and we've come out on the right side of a really important victory.

"The positives were; the resilience, the grit, the fight that we showed.

"We dominated the opening 20 minutes, could have been two or three up. Dael took his chance and it took us time to adjust after he went off and they scored their equaliser which we are aggrieved about. We felt there was a foul and it shouldn't have been allowed.

"Hayden got us that little bit of luck but perhaps the day was about that. They pushed us back in the second half, they've got a lot of quality attacking players.

"It's not my first rodeo - I've been in the game a long time. We were asked by the club to prepare everything as normal.

"We were ready to go. Training was good, the lads were in good spirits and focused.

"Then I was asked by the club to lead and I said: 'No problem.'

"It's been a bit of a rollercoaster and I should enjoy a glass of red tonight."

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:

"We really unsettled Middlesbrough, they didn't get any rhythm or control on the match, which was excellent and we did make chances, but we didn't turn those chances into goals and gave away to pretty sloppy ones ourselves.

"We responded after going down in the game but conceding just before half-time was really frustrating and a soft goal, I know it took a good deflection but it was a really poor goal from our point of view.

"They were galvanised by that and we should have been better. We gave them something to hang onto and they managed to do it.

"There was enough there - we did create the more chances, we had more of the ball, we had more of the territory, we had all the things you want to try and be dominant in a match, but we just couldn't turn it into a win."