Middlesbrough 2-0 Cardiff City: Bluebirds fell to fourth successive defeat as Tavernier and McGree strike for Boro

Cardiff City fell to another defeat in this increasingly disappointing season as Middlesbrough ran out 2-0 winners at the Riverside Stadium.

Goals in each half - one from Marcus Tavernier, the other from Riley McGree - consigned Cardiff to their fourth successive defeat, leaving Bluebirds fans all but begging for this ugly campaign to finally be put to bed.

It was a win which took Chris Wilder's side to within two points of the top six, but few people in south Wales will care about that as they stew over another loss, their 23rd of the season.

On the team news front, Cody Drameh passed his late fitness test, starting on the right with Perry Ng crossing over to the other flank owing to an injury to Joel Bagan. There was room in the side for both birthday boy Rubin Colwill, who turned 20 on Wednesday, and Tommy Doyle in a fresh diamond formation, while Max Watters once again partnered Jordan Hugill up front.

For the hosts, the familiar face of Sol Bamba was tasked with stopped City's forward duo. And it's fair to say Bamba and Co had a fair bit to deal with during the opening exchanges, with the visitors enjoying a positive start to proceedings in front of a tetchy Riverside crowd.

Colwill was finding pockets of space at the tip of the diamond, while Watters was finding joy getting in behind the Boro defence and turning the centre-backs towards their own goal.

But there was nothing in terms of clear-cut chances until just before the half-hour mark, when a Boro break opened up gaps all over the place and Cardiff were left scrambling as the ball found its way to Tavernier's feet 25 yards from goal. With acres of space and too much time, the Boro man looked up, picked his spot and drilled a shot low and hard towards the Cardiff