ON an afternoon where Middlesbrough huffed and puffed in front of goal, it was Chris Wilder’s side who were tamed by the Tigers as Hull City ground Boro down at the Riverside Stadium and earned themselves a 1-0 win to hand them a damaging blow in their pursuit for the Championship play-offs.

Hull, who are now unbeaten in six games on the road, produced a smash and grab in the second half as Boro failed to find a way through their watertight rearguard and they lose for the second game in a row on home soil.

The proverbial game of cat and mouse started from the off as Boro monopolised possession in the opening exchanges. While nothing fruitful came of their attacks, they were opening up Hull down the flanks with Riley McGree at the heart of the build-up. The Australian was handed his second start in a Boro shirt since signing for the club in January.

Matt Crooks has endeared himself to the Boro faithful in style this season with his hard work, goals from midfield and ‘fine hair’. But his disciplinary record may well end up being his downfall. The 28-year-old picked up his 14th yellow card of the season after pulling back Brandon Fleming and is now one booking away from a three match suspension.

Marc Bola was denied by the keeper Matt Ingram for the first time in the game with a shot on the edge of the box before Aaron Connolly was denied a penalty by referee Andy Woolmer. The striker went down from Jacob Greaves push and it was a decision where it fell under the ‘you’ve seen them given’ category.

The sour note of the first half saw Dael Fry withdrawn through injury to be replaced by the imperious Sol Bamba who was tasked with keeping the Tigers tamed throughout the game.

Shota Arveladze’s side roared into their game with the most meaningful chance of the half only to be denied by the reliable Marcus Tavernier. Ryan Longman threaded a neat through pass to George Honeyman who beat the offside trap. The former Sunderland man showed the poise to dink the ball over the onrushing Joe Lumley but Tavernier tracked back and was on hand to lash the ball into touch to deny a certain goal.

Heading into the second half, the signs were clear that Boro were going to be worked even harder to find the opening goal of the game with virtually ten black shirts behind the ball.

Wilder threw on more attackers in an attempt to break down the Hull rearguard as Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn were thrown into the mix. The ‘Ginger Juninho gave Boro instant energy by driving at the heart of the Hull defence and threading the ball through to Connolly. He gobbled the chance up by bending in off the post but the linesman’s flag denied the opening goal of the game.

Boro appealed for another penalty 20 minutes from time when Tavernier burst past Fleming into the box and took a tumble but the referee gave a yellow card for simulation.

Boro were running out of ideas in the closing stages and the Tigers game plan to grind them down and steal a result looked to have paid off. Keane Lewis-Potter, who has been their most reliable source of goals this season, cut inside from the left and drove a shot that snuck underneath the hands of Lumley and into the bottom right corner.

It was a damning blow to a Boro side who were running out of steam and running out of time. Connolly had another chance that flashed just passed the post as he latched onto the end of McNair’s cross from a free-kick.

As the game reached it’s dying embers, Boro threw every available man forward and as fortress Hull stood firm, the ball fell to Tavernier who lashed first time on the edge of the box only to see his shot palmed over the bar by Matt Ingram.

There was time for one last corner where Lumley went up from deep in an attempt to atone for conceding the goal but as Ingram came out to clutch the ball to complete a smash and grab.

It will be another game where Boro’s potency in front of goal might well prove to be their downfall at the end of the season but they will a mighty effort to pick themselves back up ahead of a huge Easter Bank Holiday weekend which sees them face Bournemouth and Huddersfield.