Injury-hit Hull City suffered injury-time heartbreak to lose 1-0 to Middlesbrough and return to the Championship's bottom three with a dramatic defeat on New Year's Day.

City had to withstand heavy pressure throughout and needed goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, and the woodwork to almost snatch a point to kick off 2025 against the play-off chasers, but Alex Gilbert's low finish in the 93rd minute won it for Boro.

Without a host of key first team players including Sunday's matchwinner Ryan Longman, City were second best for long periods on New Year's Day, and their battling qualities looked to have earned them a big point until Michael Carrick's subs turned the game in the final minute.

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Selles made three changes from the side who were 1-0 winners at Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, with Lewie Coyle, Steven Alzate and Abdus Omur all returning to the starting line-up, at the expense of Matty Jacob, Xavier Simons and Abu Kamara, who all dropped to the bench. Ryan Giles returned to the squad, but there was no place for Ryan Longman, who was a doubt coming into the game with a groin problem.

It was a quiet start from both sides, before McLoughlin got himself in a heck of a mess trying to take a goal kick inside his six-yard box, taking an age to clear before Latte Lath wrestled the ball off him, but thankfully for City, Azaz blazed miles over where he should have done much, much better. It was a huge letoff for the Tigers, and the Irishman in particular.

City warmed to the task and were starting to have a little bit more joy in the final third. Dan Barlaser was cautioned after catching Puerta with a high boot, but Omur's teasing ball in had no takers and zipped wide.

The influential Alzate then executed a delicious turn in the middle of the Boro half before firing just wide of the right-hand post, leaving Latte Lath for dead, only missing Glover's left-hand post by an inch or two.

Events had entered something of a scrappy lull before Riley McGree breezed between Drameh and Slater to fizz at Pandur, who turned well over, that coming moments after Latte Lath had warmed then palms of the City goalkeeper at his near post with a low, driven effort.

City were toiling, Boro were on top; the Tigers unable to keep the ball or get themselves up the pitch, which by this point, was causing both teams a problem or two under foot, but the break came just at the right time with Selles' side struggling, albeit without being battered and just about keeping the visitors at arm's length. The first period was hardly one for the purist.

At the break, Selles made a double change with Ryan Giles and Xavier Simons coming on to replace Puerta and Drameh for the second period, but those changes did little to change the flow of the contest with the visitors remaining dominant, and the hosts, struggling to get the ball for any length of time, let alone cause any threat.

Just before the hour, Abu Kamara was introduced in place of Omur, who again struggled to make any kind of impact on the game, albeit from a position less than favourable to him. On the hour, a rare Tigers attack saw Simons angle a shot well over the bar as he fell to the floor under pressure.

Michael Carrick made a triple change after 68 minutes when Ben Doak, Delano Burgzorg and Neto Borges all coming on for Engel, Jones and McGree, while Chris Bedia replaced Pedro.

Boro were all over City now, and came the closest yet to opening the scoring when Hayden Hackney swept an effort against the inside of Pandur's post, and the visitors came close again moments later when Azaz was allowed to turn inside the box, before Pandur saved low.

City were hanging by a thread, clinging with their fingernails as Boro pushed, and pushed. But strong they stood, for now. On came Harry Vaughan for his first outing of the season, replacing Burstow with 13 minutes left.

A rare Tigers foray forward saw a corner scrambled clear by Carrick's men before Giles' centre from a wide free-kick was glanced wide by the soaring McLoughlin.

Doak threatened to break clear and tracking him all the way, Vaughan dragged him back at the expense of a booking, but it was something he had to do.

Alfie Jones picked up a booking three minutes from time when he was caught in a tangle of Latte Lath's legs outside the box, and then Carrick made a quick change, sending on Alex Gilbert for Azaz.

Boro won the game in the final minute when Carrick's changes combined when Burgzorg was given too much space inside the box down the left, he pulled it back for Gilbert to race in and slide under Pandur, and break Tigers hearts.

City: Pandur, Coyle (c), McLoughlin, Jones, Drameh, Alzate, Slater, Puerta, Omur, Pedro, Burstow. Subs: Racioppi, Giles, Bedia, Burns, Simons, Vaughan, Jacob, Sellars-Fleming, Kamara

Boro: Glover, van den Berg, Barlaser, Fry, Hackney (c), McGree, Latte Lath, Jones, Dijksteel, Azaz, Engel; Subs: Connor (GK), Clarke, Burgzorg, Gilbert, Hamilton, Edmundson, Borges, McCabe, Doak

Referee: Leigh Doughty

Attendance: 21,585