DERBY COUNTY 1 Nugent (90) MIDDLESBROUGH 2 BESIC (20), Assombalonga (70)
Middlesbrough further enhanced their quest for a play-off place with a convincing win at fellow hopefuls Derby.
A goal in either half from Mo Besic and Britt Assombalonga did the damage, despite David Nugent’s late penalty for the hosts.
Boro remain fifth – four points clear of seventh-placed County – and are just one win away from confirming their place in the top six.
Derby entered this match having suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
Bradley Johnson headed wide of goal for the hosts early on, while the impressive Adama Traore planted a header straight at Scott Carson at the other end.
Hesitant defending from the hosts allowed Middlesbrough to open the scoring after 20 minutes. Besic, on loan from Everton, cut inside the penalty area and placed a shot into the bottom-left corner for his first goal in English football.
In response, Derby’s Tom Lawrence tried his luck from long range and forced Darren Randolph to push a shot behind for a corner.
Boro had been limited since the opener, and Assombalonga’s curling effort just before the interval went just wide of a post.
Derby came out much the brighter after the restart, with Nugent clipping a shot into the side netting before Randolph did well to gather Marcus Olsson’s long-range effort at the second attempt.
In what was becoming a frantic game, Boro forged two quickfire chances to kill the game off, but failed to take advantage on either occasion.
First, Jonny Howson dashed into the box and saw his shot clip the top of Carson’s bar, before Besic blazed over less than a minute later.
Despite their profligacy, Boro made amends in the 70th minute when the elusive second goal arrived.
Traore dashed down the right flank and fed the simplest of balls into the path of Assombalonga, who lashed the ball home.
Derby continued to create chances and they were given a lifeline in stoppage time when Daniel Ayala tugged Curtis Davies in the box, with referee Lee Probert pointing to the spot.
Nugent tucked home the resulting spot-kick, but it proved to be too little, too late.