Another late collapse cost Middlesbrough as Tommy Conway’s goalscoring return proved not enough in a fifth straight defeat for Michael Carrick’s side.

Conway had scored what for so long looked like it might be enough to earn Boro a dogged win after four straight losses at the home of his former side. However, for the fourth time in five matches, Boro conceded twice in the final 20 minutes as they failed to find a win to get their season back on track and ease pressure on Carrick.

So often criticised for his reactive game management, substitute George Earthy scored twice before Carrick had even made a Boro change. Two late changes in the final seven minutes proved not enough as Boro fell to five points off the hosts, who climbed to sixth ahead of Saturday’s fixtures.

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Carrick made three changes from the side that lost to Watford last time out. Back in were Anfernee Dijksteel, Dael Fry and Delano Burgzorg, with Luke Ayling, George Edmundson and Dan Barlaser dropping to the bench. Ryan Giles missed out altogether through illness.

The game saw teams in contrasting form clashing and with Boro on the wrong side of that, perhaps it was no surprise that they spent much of the first half under the cosh. Unable to get on the ball for any sustained period, there was wave after wave of Bristol City attack.

To Boro’s credit, looking like a side struggling when in possession, they at least showed plenty of determination in defence. It was this that kept that in the game and gave them a fighting chance, despite Carrick’s pre-match hints that his side would ‘focus on what they’re good at’ ie attacking. With the exception of a couple of long-range efforts, only one of which Mark Travers had to save, Boro were restricting the hosts well.

Boro were struggling to mount much in the way of their own attack though, until around the 37-minute mark. It opened up for Boro with Kelechi Iheanacho, playing off Conway once again, sprayed wide for Morgan Whittaker. He cut in but saw his effort blocked.

Boro didn’t take their foot off the gas though and when Neto Borges got to the byline seconds later on the opposite side, he had time to wait for Burgzorg to peel off his marker. Borges provided the cutback, Burgzorg did not provide the finish. Given the rarity of Boro being in or around the opposition box, it felt like a wasted chance for all of about 60 seconds.

In the very next attack, Boro finally showed some quality as Whittaker did well having been floored while trying to turn his man. From the ground he still managed to get the ball down the wing for Iheanacho to run clear. Cutting inside on his stronger left foot, he bent one low, looking for the far post. Max O’Leary saved but none other than Conway, booed throughout the game, was on hand to head home the rebound. He took great pleasure in heading to the home fans with fingers in ears to block out their noise.

Boro still had defending to do before the interval though. Bristol City enjoyed their best chance on the stroke of half-time. Aidan Morris couldn’t get a sloppy ball out from Travers under control. Losing the ball, Bristol City broke and it was cutback from the byline to Max Bird in the box. From close-range his effort was superbly saved by Travers. The Boro keeper would have been helpless with Anis Mehmeti’s follow up, but, at an awkward height and under pressure, he prodded wide from five yards.

Into the interval with a lead, the goal for Boro in the second half was clear. By hook or by crook, see the game out and get a much-needed win. There were openings there on the counter for the visitors too, but by and large, it was about staying defensively compact. For a defence that has so often struggled with that, it was a risk.

Boro were digging in deep though. It was the hour mark before Bristol City had their first chance of the half. Boro were caught committing too much to attack and when Fry stepped up, Sinclair Armstrong was in behind off his shoulder. Rav van den Berg was able to get across to force him wide enough though, with Travers then able to make another solid, albeit expected, save.

With Bristol City struggling for that breakthrough, Liam Manning was proactive with his substitutes. He made four changes midway through the second half that really reinvigorated his side without any response from Carrick. In particular, Yu Hirakawa was looking lively and he started the attack which lead to the equaliser on 72 minutes.

His cross was too long in the end, but did manage to evade Dijksteel at the back post. That meant it fell kindly to fellow sub Cameron Pring wide of the far post. He slid it back into a central area where a third sub George Earthy was on hand to fire home unmarked.

With the home side buoyed, Boro were really up against it and starting to lose their grip. It ended up being another late Boro collapse. After Travers made a superb stop to deny Scott Twine, he couldn’t get anywhere near the forward’s close-range free-kick that rattled his bar. Incredibly, no Boro player followed it in. Earthy did. He had the simplest of second goals to complete the home side turnaround.

Carrick had been waiting to finally make his first Boro subs when the goal was scored with nine minutes remaining. After the goal went in, Samuel Iling-Junior was sat back down, with only Finn Azaz coming on for Iheanacho. Instead, four minutes later, Marcus Forss was to be next man on as Carrick desperately sought a late equaliser.

There wouldn’t be time, and this was to be another damning defeat for Carrick. Bristol City’s subs making the impact they did in the game made it all the worse for the under-fire Boro boss. For so long this looked like being a dogged, hard-fought away performance with real backs-to-the-wall determination. Boro were once again unable to hold out for 90 minutes though. Their play-off chances hang by a thread.