Middlesbrough's stubborn resistance in the face of a remorseless City onslaught was rewarded as they kept a fifth successive top-flight clean sheet for the first time since the days of Jack Charlton.

You have to thumb back through the record books to 1975 when Big Jack was in charge at Ayresome Park to find the last such run by a Boro side.

Steve McClaren's new generation also extended their unbeaten sequence to six games in all competitions as their push for a place in Europe gained fresh impetus in fortuitous fashion.

Boro were given a battering by Kevin Keegan's side and had an own goal by Chinese right-back Sun Jihai in the 29th minute to thank for their victory.

Juninho broke from halfway on a jinking run and found Gaizka Mendieta on the right. The Spanish star was looking to pick out Michael Ricketts in the middle with his first-time delivery, but when the ball came in low, Richard Dunne missed it and Sun diverted it into his own net.

City were so dominant it was embarrassing, but Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made a string of superb saves.

Boro, in contrast, couldn't conjour a shot on target and were restricted to only two genuine attempts on goal.

Left-back Franck Queudrue shot over in the 48th minute and Mendieta fired wide in the closing moments when clean through.

But City, now without a win since the first day of November, only had themselves to blame as they spurned a plethora of chances. They have failed to score in their last four games in all competitions and the chief culprit ultimately yesterday was Robbie Fowler.

Keegan had dropped the England international from his starting line-up, but was forced to turn to him in the 66th minute as City desperately sought an equaliser.

Fowler, however, missed two glorious opportunities shooting wide of the near post from Nicolas Anelka's through ball before hooking over from little more than six yards three minutes from time.

Keegan's dissatisfaction with his side's recent performances - and in particular those of former Liverpool 'Spice Boys' Fowler and Steve McManaman, was laid bare as he demoted the duo to the bench.

The manager's patience snapped after the surprise UEFA Cup exit to Polish minnows Groclin last week, when Fowler and Anelka were hauled off late in the game as City went out on the away-goal rule.

Keegan had demanded a marked improvement and there was an urgency about City as they pinned Boro back in their own half in the early stages.

Schwarzer had to punch clear in the seventh minute when Trevor Sinclair, one of Boro's top summer targets before he joined City from West Ham, tried to get on the end of Anelka's knockdown.

Sinclair and Anelka spread further panic in the Boro defence when the latter rose to meet a long ball. It fell perfectly for Sinclair, but his right-foot drive from the edge of the box was touched wide by Schwarzer.

The over-worked keeper rescued Boro again when Shaun Wright-Phillips swept the ball in from the right, Anelka's header struck Colin Cooper and Paulo Wanchope's nodded effort was claimed by Schwarzer.

Boro finally strung together a meaningful move in the 28th minute when Mendieta beat City skipper Sylvain Distin and linked with George Boateng, who in turn fed Juninho.

The Brazilian then released Ricketts on the right, but the striker's low centre was gathered by keeper Kevin Ellegaard.

A minute later and to the total disbelief of the home fans, Boro were gifted the lead.

But they were soon forced into a change after Doriva was led from the field with blood gushing from a wound following a clash of heads with City's Joey Barton.

Jonathan Greening took his place and, predictably, the ex-Manchester United player's entrance was greeted with a chorus of boos.

But that was nothing compared to the reaction of the City fans when their side were denied a blatant penalty in the 38th minute.

Schwarzer was too casual in dealing with a ball to the far post and let it slip through his grasp.

But when Wanchope attempted to seize on the loose ball with the goal gaping in front of him, he was held back by Danny Mills, who was marking his return for Boro after a one-match ban.

Despite the protests of home players and supporters alike, referee Mike Riley waved play on.

Schwarzer's goal was under siege again as Sinclair's stinging drive was blocked by Cooper before the keeper had to stretch to tip over a fierce effort from former Sunderland man Claudio Reyna.

From Reyna's corner, Distin's glancing header was nodded off the line at the back post by Bolo Zenden.

A long-range strike from Barton bounced just wide of Schwarzer's left-hand post, but somehow Boro survived to the interval.

The pattern continued after the break as City kept foraging for a leveller, and Wright-Phillips went agonisingly close when he teed himself up for a volley that dropped fractionally off target.

Wright-Phillips then brought the best out of Schwarzer, who excelled himself in turning away a thundering 30-yarder from the City winger.

Keegan decided to go for broke when he withdrew Sun and sent on Fowler.

But the front man blew his chance to redeem himself with those two openings and, in between, Schwarzer held a curling effort from Anelka to frustrate City once more.

Result: Manchester City 0 Middlesbrough 1.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.