Ipswich striker Alun Armstrong returned to haunt beleagured Boro with two second half goals to leave the Teessiders deep in the relegation mire.
Offloaded by Boro boss Bryan Robson earlier in the season for just £500,000, Armstrong heaped the pressure on his former employers with two clinical finishes after Dean Windass had given the home side the lead just before half-time.
Influential skipper Paul Ince played in Windass in the 38th minute and the recent recruit from Bradford City held off Titus Bramble to crash the ball beyond Richard Wright to give Boro a surprise lead against the run of play.
Within a minute of the second half Ipswich were level through Armstrong, who levelled matters with a superb long range effort.
And five minutes later, Boro's misery was effectively complete when Armstrong grabbed his second latching on to Stewart's cross and silence a stunned Riverside crowd.
Read more about Middlesbrough here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article