Full-time: Middlesbrough 2 Rotherham United 0

LEE TOMLIN’S ninth goal of the season put Middlesbrough on course to stay in touch with the Championship’s leaders Bournemouth after a comfortable win over Rotherham at the Riverside.

Boro had dominated the first half but had not been able to find the breakthrough required against a Millers side struggling to make progress at the opposite end.

But four minutes after half-time Tomlin delivered. The former Peterborough forward, playing in the hole behind Spanish striker Kike, made most of the space afforded to him on the edge of the box before picking his spot with a lovely right-footed finish low inside Emiliano Martinez’s bottom right corner.

Rotherham, still looking for points to guarantee them second tier football next season, improved after that but Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos was rarely called in to action and when he was he was ready.

But then Tomlin turned provider when he worked his way in to the box before playing a lovely pass inside for Patrick Bamford 24 minutes before the end. The young Chelsea striker, operating on the right flank, coolly slotted his finish beyond Martinez.

That was Bamford’s 16th league goal of the campaign, meaning he has equalled the best tally scored by a Middlesbrough player in the last 25 years set by Fabrizio Ravanelli.

The victory lifted Middlesbrough to within two points of leaders Bournemouth, who had kept up the pressure on the rest of the title chasers by winning at Brighton on Friday night, with four games remaining.

Karanka’s players never looked in any serious trouble, even if they were never in full flow in the final third on their first outing since the crushing defeat at Watford last Monday.

Albert Adomah and Kike – who was one of five changes to the starting line-up made by Karanka – were guilty of wasting the best chances in the first half. Daniel Ayala, back at the heart of the defence after injury, also saw a header cleared off the line during that opening 45 minutes.

Kike and Emilo Nsue also went close to extending the lead before the full-time whistle and then Bamford – after a verbal battle with Kike over who would take it – had a penalty saved by Martinez after Kike was brought down by Richard Wood.

But Middlesbrough had already shown enough to earn the points courtesy of Tomlin’s creative spark and now they must repeat the result when Wolves travel to Teesside on Tuesday ahead of Friday’s trip to second-placed Norwich City.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1): Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Ayala (Woodgate 69), Gibson, Friend; Adomah, Forshaw, Clayton (Whitehead 79); Bamford; Tomlin (Nsue 85), Adomah; Kike. Subs: Ripley, Vossen, Amorebieta, Wildschut.

ROTHERHAM UNITED (4-4-2): Martinez; Hunt, Broadfoot, Wood, Lafferty, Green (Sammon 76), Smallwood, Arnason, Hammill, Bowery, Derbyshire (Ward 59). Subs: (gk): Collin; Frecklington, Pringle, Newton, Milsom.