IF the manager of Partizan Belgrade, Vladimir Vermezovic, was being truthful when he cheekily claimed not to know anything about Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing or any of his teammates, he does now.

Even without their 15-goal strikeforce of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka, Boro clinched the necessary three points that clinched first place in Group E of the UEFA Cup last night.

Middlesbrough's attacking reservists, Szilard Nemeth and Joseph Job, grabbed a goal each to ensure the Teessiders avoid the Champions League losers in the last 32 of the competition when the draw is made in Nyon tomorrow morning.

And teenager James Morrison, a product of the club's Academy, completed the comfortable win in injury-time when he curled in his second European goal in his first full season as part of McClaren's first-team plans.

This 3-0 victory over the previously sound Serbia & Montenegro League leaders, irrespective of Villarreal's success over Egaleo, ensured that in February Steve McClaren's men will face one of the teams that finished third in the UEFA Cup groups.

Top spot had virtually been assured by half-time in front of a disappointing crowd of just over 20,000 at the Riverside Stadium.

Nemeth put Middlesbrough ahead with only his third goal of the season and 12 minutes later Job made it two with his first goal since August. Those goals ensured Boro finished ahead of fellow qualifiers Partizan and Villarreal.

The decision to leave Hasselbaink and Viduka out of the starting line-up did not backfire but the gamble could have completely gone against the manager's pre-match notes in the programme.

In it McClaren wrote it was 'absolutely crucial' that Middlesbough won the final Group E fixture to strengthen the club's chances of progressing beyond the last 32.

The omission of the pair is something the manager had tried unsuccessfully in the past.

Three weeks ago Villarreal made light work of a punchless Middlesbrough, who struggled to create chances until Viduka and Hasselbaink were introduced in the second half.

Nevertheless, their exclusion last night allowed Nemeth and Job another chance to stake a claim for a first-team place, particularly after airing their frustrations last week at being only fringe players, and they vindicated their selection.

McClaren claimed he was going in search of victory so that Middlesbrough would finish top of the group and avoid being pitted against one of the eight clubs dumped out of the Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk, CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos, Valencia, Dinamo Kiev, Ajax, Fenerbahce and Olympiakos.

The home side made a cautious start with Partizan, wearing black and white stripes, passing the ball around neatly but without causing any danger.

Ironically, Middlesbrough's first meaningful foray forward after ten minutes saw the deadlock broken courtesy of the stand-in front-line.

An intricate Job through ball set Nemeth free and after beating the offside trap, the Slovakian steadied himself before placing his shot underneath goalkeeper Ivica Kralj's arms.

Despite the early lead Partizan could not be taken lightly. They boasted a 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions before last night and they proved on English soil early last season, when they knocked Newcastle out of the Champions League at the qualifying stage, that they provided a threat.

And their impressive away form - they have scored 21 and conceded just three in seven league fixtures on their travels - ensured Middlesbrough had to be wary of Partizan's attacking capabilities.

However, the only threat forthcoming on the Middlesbrough defence was to their safety. Cameroonian Pierre Boya, a fellow countryman of Job, knocked Colin Cooper out cold with a stray elbow that could quite easily have led to a red card, instead it was yellow.

Shortly after Cooper returned to the field, Middlesbrough extended their lead when Nemeth returned the compliment to his strike partner. After Franck Queudrue's run, the Frenchman making an appearance despite being in the middle of a three-match domestic ban, Nemeth found Job unmarked and the former RC Lens man side-footed into Kralj's bottom right-hand corner.

Top spot was in sight but Partizan, incredibly weak at the back, still looked as though they would cause a problem or two in the final third. And captain Sasa Ilic reminded the hosts of that when he pulled his shot just wide after a neat one two with Boya.

Instead it was left to Darlington-born Morrison to cap a memorable night when the substitute cut inside his man before curling an unstoppable left-foot shot into Pantic's bottom right corner to ensure at least one more European night in at the Riverside Stadium.

Result: Middlesbrough 3 Partizan Belgrade 0.

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