Ten-man Blackburn lost further ground in the Championship’s top two as they were beaten by an in-form Middlesbrough at Ewood Park.
Ryan Hedges was left all alone to latch on to John Buckley’s long ball and fire Rovers into an early lead from the edge of the box.
The visitors leveled just seconds into the second half when Matt Crooks found Marcus Force’s run, firing a superb shot past goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski into the far corner.
Moments later Rovers midfielder Buckley was sent off for head-butting Riley McGarry, and the Australian soon capitalized with a superb volleyed winner into the top corner.
Boro were 21st when Michael Carrick took over on October 24, but his sixth win in nine games in charge has moved them up to sixth and within three points of third-placed Blackburn in the play-offs. .
Conversely, a fourth defeat in five league matches left Rovers 11 points behind leaders Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United.
It all went wrong for Rovers in a nightmare 11 minutes after the restart which saw them score either side of Buckley’s straight red card, McGree repaying Buckley’s petulance with a fine winner.
However, it was soon after Hedges gave Rovers a flying start that things began to flow Boro’s way, with Chuba Akpom sending a close-range diving header just wide of a teasing Force cross.
Rovers threatened on the break, and Sam Gallagher cut wide over the top from another Buckley ball, but the visitors almost equalized moments before the break when Hayden Hackney’s 25-yard strike hit the crossbar.
Ben Bretton Diaz, making his 100th league start for Rovers, forced Boro keeper Zac Stephen into a save with a free-kick as the hosts looked to respond with 10 men, but Carrick’s men ran out deserved winners. Went out.
Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Thomason told:
“I think it was a disappointing result to lose this match.
“We started the first half playing some great football, we created chances, played with intensity and probably should have been more than a goal ahead.
“We talked at half-time about how we needed to get off to a good start but the first 10 minutes of the second half changed the game.
On departure: “John (Buckley) is a young lad, inexperienced and he has given the referee a decision so he needs to learn from that.”
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told:
“We came here believing we could win and to come back with the three points however you get them is very pleasing.
“All my staff told me their goal was offside so I’ll take their word for it but we couldn’t convert it and the boys were frustrated at half-time.
“We made a few tweaks at half-time and got our reward straight away which gave the boys a real boost.
“I didn’t see the sending off but I think he hit a ball in the face so if he did, whether it was deliberate or not, then the referee has to decide.”
