TWO nightmare spells proved costly for Middlesbrough as Michael Carrick’s side pressed the self-destruct button at West Brom, extending their winless start to the Championship season to four games.

Boro conceded two goals in a damaging seven minute first half period at the Hawthorns, but recovered well and Emmanuel Latte Lath’s first goal for the club meant Carrick’s side went in at the break still very much in with a shout of getting something from the game.

But Boro’s good work at the end of the first half was undone in a horror start to the second half, with the visitors first gifting Albion a third goal before Tommy Smith’s nightmare return to the side came to a premature end when he was sent off.

Boro – with 10 men – stuck at it and gave themselves a glimmer of hope late on when Marcus Forss struck from the spot, but substitute Jeremy Sarmiento wrapped up the win for Albion in stoppage time.

Boro may well make the case that the goal that set West Brom on their way to victory shouldn’t have stood, with defender Cedric Kipre appearing to give Jonny Howson a shove in the box before lashing the opener into the top corner. But Boro were to blame for what followed, allowing John Swift the freedom of the pitch to pick his spot for the second goal before Lukas Engel gifted Brandon Thomas-Asante the third just two minutes into the second period.

What made the manner of the goals all the more frustrating was the fact Boro could – should – have got something from this game. After falling 2-0 behind, they hit back immediately through Latte Lath and finished the first half strongly. But they shot themselves in the foot after the break and left themselves with too much to do.

Carrick was “really encouraged” by the performance in last week’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, but still made two changes – one of them forced with Rav van den Berg ruled out with a hand injury. Smith returned for his first appearance of the season at right-back, with Riley McGree also coming back into the XI in place of Marcus.

Carrick named two goalkeepers in Tom Glover and Jamie Jones on his bench, with Martin Payero and Hayden Coulson notable absentees.

West Brom made a bright start with a couple of early bursts down the left but Boro settled and had the best chance of the opening quarter of an hour when the home side played themselves into trouble at the back. McGree robbed Semi Ajayi of possession inside the West Brom box, but keeper Alex Palmer was alert to the danger and raced off his line to block the Boro midfielder’s effort.

That was the only moment of note in the first 20 minutes but the game burst into life at the halfway point of the opening period when Kipre hit the opener after a Darnell Furlong long throw from the right. If Boro were at all aggrieved at the goal, they could have no complaints about the second six minutes later.

After picking the ball up on the left flank, Swift was allowed to charge into the Boro box unopposed before firing into the top corner.

Boro could, at this stage – with the Hawthorns bouncing – have gone under, but they hit back immediately. Silvera did well to beat Matt Phillips down the right and his fine cross was met by Latte Lath, who guided his header into the bottom corner.

The new recruit was clearly buoyed by his first goal and asking questions of the home defence. With five minutes to play in the first half, he out-muscled Kipre to create a chance for himself, but his left-footed strike from the edge of the area was just too high.

West Brom’s Matt Phillips went even closer a minute later. The wing-back darted from left to right to meet a through ball and his shot across the face of Seny Dieng’s goal flashed just wide of the far post.

Boro were very much back in the game at half-time but their hopes soon disappeared after the restart. First, West Brom were gifted a third goal when Lukas Engel horribly misjudged a back-pass to Dieng and instead played the ball into the path of Brandon Thomas-Asante. The striker rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net.

Four minutes later, Boro’s day went from bad to worse when Smith’s nightmare afternoon came to a premature end. The defender was booked in the first half for a foul on Phillips and the same offence resulted in his second caution.

Albion looked set to be comfortable victors but Boro were handed a route back into the game when Furlong handled inside the box, substitute Forss scoring from the spot on 84 minutes. Hopes of an unlikely comeback disappeared in stoppage time when substitute Jeremy Sarmiento scored West Brom’s fourth.