Town: Chris Neal, Joe Jacobson, Sean McAllister, Ian Sharps (c ), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Mark Wright, Marvin Morgan, Matt Richards, Lionel Ainsworth (Jon Taylor 79), Terry Gornell (James Collins 79), James Hurst

Subs: Ben Smith, Jermaine Grandison, Carl Regan, Tom Bradshaw, Aaron Wildig,

Middlesbrough: Jason Steele (Danny Coyle 65), Justin Hoyte, Joe Bennett, Matthew Bates (c ), Scott McDonald, Kevin Thomson, Marvin Emnes, Rhys Williams, Bart Ogbeche, Malaury Martin (Tarmo Kink 70), Richard Smallwood

Subs: Stephen McManus, Seb Hines, Curtis Main, Tony McMahon, Adam Reach

Ref: Tony Bates
Assistants: Jason Tyas and Ryan Johnson
Fourth Official: David Storrie

Attendance: 12,631 (917)

Town manager Graham Turner makes the one change to the side that drew with Northampton with Joe Jacobson coming in to replace Jermaine Grandison who drops down to the bench. There is no place on the bench for Connor Goldson who hasn't travelled due to a back problem that has kept him out of training on Friday.

There were good chances for both sides in the opening 5 minutes with first Boro having a good attack that saw Justin Hoyte find space to drive into the Town box but Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was alert to come across and snuff out the danger. Moments later Town had a great break that saw Mark Wright driving towards the Boro goal, he had players in support but chose to cut inside and then drove in a low shot that flew just wide of the post.

Town had a decent chance to grab the lead after another attack saw Town find space to push Boro back, Gornell came across to collect the ball and then drove infield before hitting a low drive that Steele did well to dive and push away from goal, it went to Morgan but his shot was put behind for a Town corner.

On the quarter hour mark Town had a great counter attack when the ball was played out to Morgan just inside the Town half, he took the ball down on his chest and then played a neat one two with Gornell to create space, Morgan took play out towards the right hand side and played a ball to release Ainsworth down the wing, he had the beating of his marker but played a lovely cross field ball into the run of Gornell who was breaking into the box, he took the ball down and then drove in a volley that flew over the bar.

It was proving to be a good game of football with Boro giving Town the space to play football and Town were using that space well. Both sides were playing good football and using the width of the Riverside pitch to get at each other. The best chances though were dropping to Town and they created another great opening which saw Morgan bring the ball down it then drop to Richards, but the ref blew up just and he drove his shot towards the goal.

Town should have been in front just before the half-hour mark when they pulled Boro all over the place to create openings in the box, the ball took a deflection and dropped just outside the 8 yard box with Lionel Ainsworth running in with the goal at his mercy but he didn't connected and dropped to his knees as the ball scuffed wide of the target.

Town were doing everything right other than finding the back of the net, they were playing good football, were taking the game to Boro, were creating chances and were frustrating Boro and the home crowd.

It was Boro though who took the lead on 39 minutes pretty much against the run of play. Town won't be happy with their defending that saw Boro swing the ball into the Town box, it dropped to Emnes who found the space to let the ball drop unchallenged and then poke the ball home from close range to give the home side the lead.

Half-time: 0-1

Chris Neal had to be alert right from the start of the second half when a Boro break ended with a decent shot on the Town goal but Neal was there to pull off a good save.

Boro looked a lot more threatening after the break and Chris Neal was proving to be the busier of the keepers, he was once again at his best when a good cross into the Town box saw McDonald flick the ball goal wards but Neal was alert to dive across and smoother the shot.

Town hadn't had too many chances in the so far in the second half but when Mark Wright put the ball out to the left for Jacobson Boro were on the back foot, he played it into Marvin Morgan who showed great strength to ride a couple of challenges and burst towards the goal but he didn't connect cleanly with his shot from just outside the box and the ball flew over the target.

Moments later Town had another good chance to get even after a ball back infield found Matt Richards, play opened up in front of him and he burst into the space and towards the goal, he rode one challenge and put the ball onto his left foot before driving in a great shot from 20 yards out that Steele managed to to get but the ball looped up and looked to be dropping to Morgan but Gornell who had been in an offside position took a touch and the assistants flag was instantly raised.

Town had another lovely move where Richards went out wide to stretch play and receive the ball from Ainsworth, Richards held up play well before pushing the ball backfield to McAllister, he burst forward and on the edge of the box played a one two with Gornell that saw McAllister find space in between the Boro defence before driving in a low show that had Coyne beaten but the shot was just wide of the target.

Boro had a great chance to grab a second goal after a ball over the Town defence from Hoyte dropped over Sharps and this saw Ogbeche in on goal, he had only Neal to beat and Sharps snapping on his heals but Neal stayed on his feet well before diving at Ogbeche's feet to block and Cansdell-Sherriff was there to block, the ball then went up field and found Wright, he drove in on goal, had a chance to shoot but chose to push it into the path of Gornell as he burst in on the angle but he didn't connect cleanly and his shot was behind the goal.

There were chances at both ends with Town having a couple of decent openings for first Gornell and then Wright, but good defending from Boro on both occasions kept them at bay. Then Boro went up the other end and got in behind the Town defence, the ball was driven across the face of the goal before a Boro foot flicked it goal wards but Chris Neal was there to spring across his goal and pull off a superb save to keep the score at 1-0.

All the pressure was still coming from Town and as the final whistle got closer they were pressing and pressing to get the leveller and where getting close to achieving it. The addition of Jon Taylor and James Collins had seen Town keep their work rate and pressure up and the chances were falling to the visitors. Boro though were putting everything they had to stop Town from getting the goal that their play and pressure probably deserved.

With moments of the game remaining Town had a chance to grab a replay when some great play saw the ball with Morgan, he burst through the Boro defence and drove in a lovely looking shot but Coyne was equal to it with a great finger tip save to push the ball away from danger.

Town's energy levels were there to see and after an attack broke down Emnes was in on the Town goal but going shoulder to shoulder with him was Matt Richards who kept with him from the halfway to just outside of the penalty box where Emnes went to ground and Richards picked up a yellow card for his troubles.

Full-time: 0-1