Tony Mowbray's return to Teesside with Sunderland ended in defeat as Riley McGree's goal lifted Middlesbrough out of the Championship's bottom three. McGree scored the only goal of the game inside the opening half-hour, when he took advantage of some lax defending which left him with a yard of space inside the penalty area.
Sunderland were rocked by an injury to Ross Stewart in the warm-up, and without their leading scorer they looked toothless up front - and the quality of their final ball into the box was also lamentable. Boro could have won by a larger margin, with Anthony Patterson making a string of saves in the second half to keep his side in the game.
But a single goal was enough for Chris Wilder's Boro, and it lifted them to 17th in the table. For former Boro player and manager Mowbray, it was a first defeat in what was his second game in charge of the Black Cats, but Sunderland remained eighth in the table.
READ MORE: Middlesbrough 1-0 Sunderland: Highlights and full-time reaction from the Riverside Stadium
Mowbray had named an unchanged side after the Black Cats beat Rotherham United 3-0 on Wearside in his first game in charge last Wednesday, but he was forced to make a late change when Stewart had to pull out, with Patrick Roberts promoted from the bench to take his place.
Wilder made one change to the team that had conceded an injury-time goal to lose at Watford last week, with Dael Fry replacing the injured Darragh Lenihan.
There were chances at both ends in the early stages, with Rodrigo Muniz sending a header over the bar while at the other end Alex Pritchard fired over the top from inside the area after being teed-up by Ellis Simms.
Jack Clarke then sent a shot well wide from outside the box, while Muniz scuffed an effort wide after good work from the pacy Isaiah Jones down the right.
Patterson made a good save down low to his right from a Jonny Howson free-kick out on the left flank that was curling inside the near post.
But Boro took the lead on 25 minutes with a goal that was far too easy from Sunderland's point of view.
Ryan Giles' cross from the left found McGree who had a yard of space inside the area, and his first touch took him past Luke O'Nien who got a toe to the ball, but could not prevent the Australian placing his low finish past Patterson.
Shortly before half-time, McGree was denied by a good save from Patterson after Sunderland had been forced into a mistake on the edge of their own penalty area.
In injury-time at the end of the first half, Roberts went to ground just inside the Boro box and appealed for a penalty but referee Darren Bond was not interested.
In the second half, Sunderland dominated for long spells but their final ball was lacking on too many occasions.
There were too many wayward crosses and overhit passes, which meant Roberts barely had a save to make.
Boro looked the more likely side to score and Patterson made a good stop to push a downward header from Muniz to safety, and later to beat away a shot from sub Duncan Watmore.
With ten minutes left, Roberts was at last forced into a meaningful save when he had to push a curling free-kick from sub Elliot Embleton over the bar.
Patterson made another good save from Watmore late in the game.
Sunderland kept going to the final whistle but they just could not open up the Boro defence, even when on-loan Manchester United man Amad Diallo came on for his debut midway through the second period in a bid to give the Wearsiders more of a cutting edge.
How they lined up
Middlesbrough: Roberts, McNair (Dijksteel 51), Fry, Clarke, Jones, Crooks, Howson, Mowatt (Bola 89), Giles, McGree (Watmore 68), Muniz (Smith 89). Subs not used: Daniels, Hoppe, Forss
Booked: McNair, Clarke, Crooks, Jones, Smith
Sunderland: Patterson, O'Nien, Batth, Cirkin (Wright 75), Gooch (Dajaku 75), Evans, Neil, Clarke, Pritchard (Embleton 68), Simms, Roberts (Amad 68). Subs not used: Bass, Matete, Alese
Booked: Pritchard
Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire)
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