Middlesbrough turned on the style by beating fellow promotion challengers Ipswich Town 4-1 at the Riverside Stadium to climb to the top of the Championship standings.
Daryl Murphy had cancelled out Daniel Ayala's earlier opener for the visitors with his 23rd goal of the season, before Albert Adomah edged the division's pacesetters back into the lead on the half-hour mark.
Two second-half goals for Patrick Bamford wrapped things up for Aitor Karanka's men, who are now clear at the top ahead of this afternoon's full fixture list.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
11.45pmHello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Championship clash between Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town at the Riverside Stadium.
11.47pmBoth sides have experienced some shaky form of late, each winning just two of their last six outings, meaning that it is vital they pick up a positive result this afternoon as we enter the business end of the campaign. Boro have the chance to move clear at the top with at least a draw in front of their home supporters, while Ipswich can move into the playoff zone with a point of their own.
11.48pmKickoff in the North East is less than 30 minutes away, so let's take a look at how the two sides line up for this one...
11.50pmTEAM NEWS!
BORO STARTING XI: Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter, Clayton, Adomah, Reach, Bamford, Vossen
IPSWICH STARTING XI: Gerken, Parr, Mings, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Murphy, Tabb, Sears, Bishop
11.52pmStarting with the home side, then, and manager Aitor Karanka has opted to make three changes to his starting XI for this afternoon's clash. Adam Reach, Jelle Vossen and Daniel Ayala all return to the fold, the latter having overcome a thigh injury in time to feature from the off.
11.54pmFull-back Ryan Fredericks picked up a hamstring injury against Nottingham Forest last time out and has failed to shake off the knock in time, while the game comes too soon for Damia Abella who is made to wait for his long awaited return to action for at least another few days.
11.56pmAs far as the visitors are concerned, Teddy Bishop is back in the side after shaking off an ankle knock, while Jonathan Parr returns in defence following the 1-1 draw with Brentford last time out. David McGoldrick was touch-and-go heading into this weekend, although his thigh injury sees him miss out once again.
11.58pmSo just the two changes for Mick McCarthy, then, with Stephen Hunt and Noel Hunt both missing out due to knee injuries. Kevin Bru has managed to pass a fitness test, however, and he is a welcome addition to the Ipswich backups this afternoon.
12pmBENCH WATCH!
BORO SUBS: Ripley, Woodgate, Forshaw, Nsue, Whitehead, Tomlin, Kike
IPSWICH SUBS: Bialkowski, Clarke, Anderson, Chaplow, Bru, Varney, Wood
12.02pmAs mentioned, Kevin Bru is among the subs for Ipswich for this mammoth Championship clash, while attacking talents Chris Wood and Luke Varney join him on the bench. As far as Boro are concerned, Adam Forshaw is a part of the matchday 18, alongside Lee Tomlin, Kike and defensive talisman Jonathan Woodgate.
12.04pmIncidentally, it is Kick it Out day at the Riverside this afternoon; an anti-racism initiative to help kick racism out of football for good:
Dimi and Leo warming up with some catching practice. https://t.co/vVcrf4lurE
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) March 14, 201512.06pmWell a point will be enough to see Boro pull away at the top for the time being in what is an extremely tight looking Championship promotion race. It is always tight, of course, but this year it has been taken to a whole new extreme with four sides locked on 66 points with 10 games left to play. We are in for a huge seven days or so, and Karanka's men will ideally be targeting all three points in front of their home supporters here today.
12.08pmThey have looked a little shaky of late, losing three of their last five games to miss out on the chance to take a grip of the summit, and with Derby County and Bournemouth to play over the next week it really is a make of break seven days for Karanka and Co. The Smoggies have built their promotion charge on a solid defensive set-up, keeping 16 clean sheets and conceding just 26 goals all term - by far and away the best record in the division.
12.10pmIpswich, meanwhile, have also gone off the boil since the turn of the year to fall outside the promotion places. Mick McCarthy has himself admitted that defeat this afternoon will signal the end of his side's hopes of claiming an automatic promotion berth, although a place in the end of season playoffs is still a real possibility. If they are to finish in the top six then they must halt a run of form which has seen them win just two of their last six games.
12.11pmDID YOU KNOW? Ipswich have the weakest away record of the sides competing for a place in the playoffs, losing four of their last five games on the road to slip off the pace somewhat.
12.13pmPREVIOUS MEETINGS: The Tractor Boys ran out 2-0 winners in the reverse meeting back in December, and in fact they have won three of the last four encounters between the two sides. However, their last win at the Riverside came back in 2010.
12.15pmPREDICTION: A huge game for both sides, then, as we kickoff another mammoth weekend of Championship action. Ipswich still have their sights on an automatic promotion place, while Boro, sitting five points ahead coming into this game, will feel far more confident that they can achieve that target. There's still a long way to go this campaign with every point going a long way to deciding things, and I think the spoils will be shared in a 1-1 draw here today.
0 minKICKOFF! We are underway at the Riverside, with Ipswich already hitting a searching ball over the top in the direction of top scorer Daryl Murphy. Can Boro keep the 22-goal striker quiet for 90 minutes?
2 minA decent atmosphere inside the Riverside Stadium in the early stages. I mentioned how tight things have been at the top this season, well the lead at the top has changed a whopping 17 this campaign already. That can change once more this afternoon.
4 minGOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 IPSWICH TOWN (AYALA)
5 minWhat a brilliant start for the home side, who find themselves ahead with a little under four minutes on the clock. They had a small shout for a penalty turned down a few moments ago after Chambers just about got to the ball ahead of Adam Reach to concede a corner, and it was from this resulting set piece in which they edged ahead. The corner was worked short to Clayton, who worked an angle to swing in a perfect cross for Ayala to head home from close range.
7 minPlay has yet to resume since that goal, as Dean Gerken remains in a bad way on the ground. He appeared to be knocked unconscious by one of his own teammates when attempting to clear that Clayton cross, and has yet to resurface. His afternoon is certainly over, but it is now a case of giving him the best treatment on the field before taking him for further checks.
10 minGOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 IPSWICH TOWN (MURPHY)
11 minAbsolutely incredible. Following a four-minute break due to that injury sustained by Gerken - who has since been replaced by Bialkowski - Murphy has levelled things up. Just 20 seconds after play resumed Parr took range from distance, and Konstontopolous could only parry the ball right into the path of Murphy who was never going to miss from two yards out.
13 minHuge credit to Ipswich who could not have imagined the game getting off to such a bad start. A goal down with four minutes on the clock and Gerken stretched off with a horror injury, but 20 seconds after play restarted they drew level. Maybe Boro - and Dimi in particular - failed to regain their focus following the lengthy break in play. It's as you were at the Riverside.
15 minIpswich had that penalty shout shortly before edging ahead as well, remember, so all-in-all it has been a frenetic start. Incidentally, word has come through that Gerken is fully concious in the Ipswich dressing room following that nasty collision with his own teammate.
17 minGoal number 23 was arguably the easiest of the lot:
23 - Daryl Murphy has scored more league goals than any other player in England's top four tiers this season (23). Smooth.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 14, 201520 minThere's been little in the way of goalmouth action since that Ipswich leveller 10 minutes ago. Both teams are enjoying spells on the ball, with the visitors the side currently in possession looking to slowly work their way forward. They have lost four of their last five games on the road, remember.
22 minOFF THE POST! Ipswich should be ahead. Tabb was given far too much freedom down the left, and his ball into the box caused some problems as the division's best defence struggled to deal with it. Sears fired away a shot which looked to be heading well wide, but a deflection off Murphy saw the ball come back off the frame of the goal and into the welcoming hands of Konstontopolous.
24 minBORO SUB: Ayala has really struggled in the opening quarter of this game on his return to action, so it is unsurprising to see Jonathan Woodgate replace him. The experienced defender needs to use his leadership skills to ensure that his side remain calm at the back following that minor scare.
26 minBoro's forward line have been feeding off scraps for the past 20 minutes essentially, with the home side struggling to get into advanced positions. Ipswich perhaps deserve to be ahead having hit the post, as both sides seek another goal before the break.
28 minSHOT! Skuse gets a shot away from the edge of the box which is blocked behind for a corner. Murphy is the man who latched onto the resulting set piece, although he failed to keep his effort down by heading well over the bar. Ipswich on top here.
29 minYELLOW CARD! Tommy Smith earns the first caution of the afternoon following his challenge on Kalas.
30 minGOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 IPSWICH TOWN (ADOMAH)
31 minMick McCarthy is furious on the touchline as his side concede a second goal from a set piece situation. Once more Boro worked it well, passing their way into the box before the ball finally found its way to Adomah around 16 yards from goal. He fired away low and hard into the back of the net, with the aid of the smallest of deflections, to leave substitute keeper Bialkowski with little chance.
33 minBoro don't exactly deserve to be ahead, but their impressive work from set plays has proved the difference so far. That's now two goals from two corners, as Ipswich struggle to work as a unit at the back. Still plenty of time to play in this one, but the next goal really could be decisive.
36 minIpswich are themselves having a bit of joy from corners, although unlike their opponents they are unable to convert when they get on the end of crosses into the box. We have a little under 10 minutes of normal time to play at the end of the first half, although we can expect five or six minutes to be added on due to that earlier incident.
38 minTabb has come in for some criticism of late but he is seeing plenty of the ball down the left and swinging in some decent crosses. They have been cleared away more often than not, although as witnessed with that Murphy attempt which came back off the post, the balance of probabilities suggests that they will come off every now and then.
40 minBoro get into a good position as Bamford charges into the opposition box, but he falls over the ball with teammates alongside him. A real opening there which the hosts failed to make the most of.
42 minUp the other end Adomah tries his luck from range with a shot which was never likely to test Bialkowski. It's a far more open game now as we approach the closing stages of this entertaining first half, with Boro the side holding a slender 2-1 lead.
44 minSome nice piece of intricate play from Boro comes to an end when Adomah overhits his through-ball. The Smoggies have certainly improved as this half as worn on, and they are now the team on top.
45 minSHOT! Bishop dances his way through the opposition defence before seeing his attempt from inside the box blocked away by Woodgate, while Clayton was first to the follow-up effort to deny Town for a second time.
45+2 minYELLOW CARD! Bishop is shown a yellow card by referee Mike Jones for leading with his elbow when attempting to win the ball from George Friend. We will play a further six minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
45+4 minAdomah's goal separates the sides as we approach the half-time interval. Murphy had earlier cancelled out Ayala's opening strike early on:
GOAL PIC: Here's Albert scoring our second against @Official_ITFC #UTB pic.twitter.com/JZIPnnBNLJ
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) March 14, 201545+6 minA nice, flowing move from Town comes to an end when Mings's cross into the box is easily collected by Konstontopolous between the sticks. This game is by no means over, because Ipswich have looked decent at times this half, which they will be looking to build on in the second 45 minutes.
45+7 minA corner kick whipped into the box is cleared away at the front post by Bamford, while the second attempt is turned goalwards by Berra. The effort was never likely to trouble the Boro stopper, though.
45+8 minPENALTY APPEAL! A strong shot for a Boro penalty is turned down in the eighth minute of added time. Berra and Bamford had a little coming together in the area, with the Town man seemingly shoving his opponent, but referee Mike Jones was having none of it.
45+9 minHALF TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 IPSWICH TOWN
1.13pmThe first half is finally brought to an end, and it has been an action-packed opening to the contest. Daniel Ayala headed his side into a fourth-minute lead, before play was halted for a good five or six minutes for Dean Gerken to receive some treatment. Twenty-six seconds after play resumed it was all square at the Riverside Stadium as Daryl Murphy fired home goal number 23 of the season from close range. Albert Adomah then regained the hosts' lead on the half-hour mark to ensure that it is they who hold the advantage at the break.
1.16pmIt has been a strange half in many ways, not helped by that lengthy stoppage in play early on, with chances few and far between besides those three goals. Boro have had two penalty appeals turned down; one in the build-up to their opening goal while the latter came seconds before the interval. The referee clearly wasn't 100% sure in the first instance so he could not point to the spot when Reach went to ground, while the way Bamford tumbled in the second case may not have helped his cause. That said, the Smoggies will certainly feel hard done by.
1.19pmBENCH WATCH!
BORO SUBS: Ripley, Forshaw, Nsue, Whitehead, Tomlin, Kike
IPSWICH SUBS: Clarke, Anderson, Chaplow, Bru, Varney, Wood
1.21pmBoth sides have been forced into making first-half subs, of course, with Woodgate replacing injured goalscorer Ayala and Bialkowski coming on for the concussed Gerken. Still plenty to choose from in terms of both sides' backups, though, and this could be where the game is decided in the second 45 minutes.
1.24pmThere's plenty more action to come in the Championship this afternoon, including the big meeting between fellow promotion chasers Derby and Norwich which we will be bringing you live coverage of straight after this game, as the matches continue to tick down. As things stand Boro are three points clear at the top, while Ipswich remain a point outside the top six. That sets up this second half nicely.
45 minSECOND-HALF UNDERWAY! No further changes at the interval as we get things back underway in the North East. Boro will really up the pressure on their top-two rivals if they can see out the next 45 minutes.
47 minPromising start to the second half for the home side, who work the ball into the box through Leadbitter's cross. Bialkowski read the flight of it well, though, and was able to collect with relative ease.
49 minA bit of sloppy defending from Ipswich allows Mings plenty of time to pick out a teammate inside the box, but he gets far too much on the cross which rolls out of play for a throw. An open start to the second period.
52 minReach managed to get in between Berra and Bialkowski as he charged in behind, but the referee felt that he had pulled back the defender. Neither side able to truly get a grip on things so far since the restart, but it is Boro who have just about edged it.
54 minYELLOW CARD! Gibson pulls back Murphy around 35 yards from goal to not only earn a yellow card but also give away a free kick in a decent crossing position.
55 minSears opts to instead shoot from the free kick with a rather tame and hopeful effort. It's fair to see he took the wrong option on that occasion.
57 minBoro have been far from their best today, but Ipswich - bar a promising early spell - have not been able to capitalise. Still plenty of time to go, of course, but McCarthy may have to change things up a little if he is to salvage at least a point from this one.
59 minIt's all very cagey at the moment with next to no action to write home about. Boro have once more been left frustrated by a decision which has gone against them, with referee Mike Jones public enemy number one in these parts at the moment.
61 minAdomah latches onto Bamford's flick on and fired away a fine strike which Bialkowski does brilliantly to push aside. The offside flag was already up, though, which looked to be just about the right decision.
63 minIpswich just turning the screw slightly, although it must be said that the final balls into the box have not been great. Mings has seen a fair bit of the ball, but you would expect his delivery to be a little better if his side are to level up.
64 minGOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 IPSWICH TOWN (BAMFORD)
65 minThe coolest of finishes from Patrick Bamford puts Middlesbrough well and truly in the driving seat now. The next goal was always going to be huge, and you fancy the home side to see this game out now to take control at the top of the Championship table. Bamford managed to latch onto Vossen's flick, doing well to remain onside and casually rounding Bialkowski to slot the ball into an empty net.
67 minTechnically speaking, it took Ipswich just 26 seconds to equalise when they fell behind for a first time, but there has been no such response following the last two goals conceded. They now have 23 minutes to throw all they have at their opponents and salvage the point needed to take them into the top six for a few hours at least.
69 minBORO SUB: Adam Forshaw is introduced in place of Vossen as we enter the final 20 minutes of the game. It's all about remaining solid and seeing out this contest now in the most comfortable fashion possible.
70 minIPSWICH SUB: Mick McCarthy is looking towards attack, understandably so, bringing on Chris Wood in place of Jay Tabb. One goal will certainly change everything.
72 minMATCH ACTION: Adomah reels away after putting his side ahead in the first half. Bamford has since gone on to add a third goal for his side to put them on their way to the Championship summit.
© Getty Images
74 minYELLOW CARD! This has not been the best of games since the restart, with that Bamford strike the only piece of goalmouth action thus far. We've seen plenty of crunching tackles, though, the latest seeing Reach enter the referee's book.
76 minBoro are just about edging things in terms of possession as Clayton fires a shot over the bar from range, yet an Ipswich goal really will change the context of things. Until that moment, however, this one looks likely to fizzle to its likely conclusion.
79 minSo Boro are on course to taking top spot ahead of their closest rivals' games a little later this afternoon. For Ipswich, though, now on the end of five away defeats in their last six, they are seemingly drifting away from the playoff zone altogether. McCarthy admitted that anything less than a win today would signal the end of their automatic promotion hopes, but on the basis of this performance finishing inside the top six will be a tough ask in itself.
80 minGOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 4-1 IPSWICH TOWN (BAMFORD)
81 minIt's another extremely well-taken strike from Bamford, who has now well and truly wrapped up the points which will take Boro top for a few hours at least. Having spun in behind Tommy Smith, the 21-year-old Englishman tucked the ball away beyond the reach of Bialkowski into the bottom corner from right on the edge of the box. A fine individual goal to add to his growing tally.
83 minIncredibly, the home side have barely turned on the style this afternoon and they are still running away with it. The sign of a good team, perhaps, and a side heading towards promotion to the Premier League at this rate. Now is the time to put together a run of positive results with just nine game left to go, and they are doing exactly that.
85 minIPSWICH SUB: A final roll of the dice for McCarthy, who brings on Luke Varney for Bishop for these closing stages. The game is now well and truly over.
87 minCHANCE! Bamford really should have completed his hat-trick. Adomah has been brilliant all afternoon, and his running left Bamford over on the left unmarked. Instead of going for goal himself the former Bristol City winger instead played in his two-goal teammate, who fired over from just inside the box.
89 minBORO SUB: The final change of the afternoon sees Leadbitter replaced by Nsue. Just seconds after coming on the replacement was presented with a glorious chance to head his side further ahead, but he fluffed his lines in front of goal.
90+1 minAnother half-chance for Bamford to fire away a third goal, but he was unable to keep his shot down and skied it high and wide. It won't matter too much, I'm sure, with just two minutes left to play and Boro three goals to the good.
90+2 minIpswich have barely mustered a chance since levelling up inside the opening 10 minutes of the game, and that doesn't look like changing in the closing stages. One minute left to play.
90+3 minFULL TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 4-1 IPSWICH TOWN
2.18pmIt's all over at the Riverside Stadium as Boro see out the game with ease to climb to the top of the Championship table. An entertaining first half, which saw three goals, two penalty shouts turned down for the hosts and a lengthy break in play, preceded a rather dull second 45 minutes in terms of chances for either side.
2.20pmBoro won't be too concerned by that, of course, having added to their advantage thanks to Patrick Bamford's double following the restart. It means that ahead of this afternoon's hectic round of fixtures, the Smoggies have taken a big foothold at the summit, while Ipswich find themselves outside the playoff zone with just nine games of their season left to play.
2.22pmWell that's all for the time being, but I'll leave you with this match report from the Riverside. Our live text coverage of the 3 O'clock kickoff between Derby County and Norwich City will get underway in the next 10 minutes, so be sure to stick around for that.
