MIDDLESBROUGH 3 AYALA (1), TRAORE (18), BAMFORD (53) BARNSLEY 1 MOORE (58)
Middlesbrough continued to turn up the heat on their rivals for a Championship play-off place by beating relegationthreatened Barnsley at the Riverside Stadium.
Boro made it four wins from five unbeaten games by getting off to the perfect start and never allowing the Tykes back into it.
While the win keeps Middlesbrough in the top six after their recent run of good form, Barnsley are left wondering where the next victory will come from as they sit just above the bottom three.
Adama Traore’s brilliant strike in the 18th minute followed Daniel Ayala’s opener with less than a minute on the clock.
Patrick Bamford, with his eighth in his last five outings, made it three shortly after half-time to effectively wrap things up, even though Barnsley pulled one back soon after through striker Kieffer Moore.
Barnsley couldn’t find a way back after that as manager Jose Morais’ wait for a second win goes on after taking charge five games ago.
Middlesbrough have been building momentum in their push for promotion and this was a confident and assured display under Tony Pulis.
The home side was on the front foot from the start as Traore burst into the visitors’ half in the lead up to the early opener.
Centre-back Ayala had gone up for Ryan Shotton’s long throw and although that was cleared, the ball found its way back to the fullback on the right hand side.
Shotton’s back-post cross was ideal for Ayala to outmuscle his marker and he prodded his finish beyond goalkeeper Nick Townsend.
Barnsley had not even threatened the Middlesbrough goal when the second arrived 17 minutes later. Traore found himself in control 20 yards out. He knocked the ball from under his feet to the left before unleashing an unstoppable low drive beyond Townsend.
With less than eight minutes gone in the second half Bamford’s good run of form continued with the third, although he had some good fortune with the ball coming off his knee, and bouncing over the line to wrap things up. Traore was denied a second late on. Middlesbrough now sit three points clear of Bristol City below them.