Stoke let lead slip against Middlesbrough to remain rooted in Championship relegation zone

Middlesbrough 2 Stoke City 1

Stoke's inability to hang onto a lead again proved costly as they missed an opportunity to climb out of the Championship relegation zone for the first time since August.

Lewis Wing came off the bench to seal a stirring second-half comeback by the hosts, the midfielder adding to his reputation as a scorer of spectacular goals with a stunning 25-yard finish into the bottom corner after being released by Marcus Tavernier.

Sam Clucas gave the visitors a 53rd-minute lead, following up to find the net from 10 yards after Aynsley Pears had saved brilliantly from James McClean's close-range effort.

The visitors held their advantage for just four minutes, as Middlesbrough came from behind to win for the first time this season. Ashley Fletcher pulled them deservedly level, beating Jack Butland at the goalkeeper's near post with a fine header from Jonny Howson's inviting ball into the box.

Clucas and Tavernier both had plausible penalty appeals turned down, and when it appeared a tense relegation battle might be heading for stalemate, Jonathan Woodgate was rewarded for his bold attacking substitutions by Wing's eye-catching finish. Butland prevented Daniel Ayala from adding to the margin of victory as the hosts won for the fifth time this season - all of those victories coming at home - to ease their worries.

If the second half proved surprisingly entertaining, the first 45 minutes largely lived down to expectations, despite containing the first attempt on target in a game involving Stoke for more than two hours.

It came from the hosts just before the half-hour, when Butland, who was making his 150th appearance for Stoke, dived full length to his right to divert a low effort from Fletcher, after the forward turned Danny Batth to fire in an angled drive from 15 yards.

Stoke carved out at best two half-chances either side of Butland's save, Tom Ince showing why he has scored just once so far this season with a weak misdirected shot from the edge of the area after intelligent approach play and lay-off from skipper Joe Allen.

Clucas was equally as off target as his team-mate, if in slightly more mitigating circumstances, as the midfielder met Stephen Ward's cross at the near post with a first-time shot which flew two yards wide of Pears' goal.

Ince kept to his task, and managed an effort on target of sorts as the interval approached, though the winger's deflected shot barely merited a save from Pears, as, almost apologetically, it trickled into the young goalkeeper's gloves, providing a fittingly low-key ending to a half of football that will not live long in the memory.

An end-to-end second half proved in stark contrast, though it will nevertheless be one the visitors will not want to remember for too long in their ongoing efforts to avoid the drop into League One.

Match details

Middlesbrough (3-5-2):Pears; Howson, Ayala, Fry; Spence (Johnson 78), Saville, Clayton (Wing 58), Tavernier, Coulson; Walker (Gestede 58), Fletcher. Substitutes not used: Mejias, Wood, O'Neill, Liddle.

Stoke (4-3-3): Butland: Smith, Batth, Lindsay, Ward (Powell 68); Allen, Cousins, Clucas; Ince (Diouf 88), Gregory, McClean (Vokes 76). Substitutes not used: Martins Indi, Davies, Hogan, Collins.

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)