It's Round and It's White
Goals from Seb Hines and Bart Ogbeche were enough to see off the challenge of Barnsley and propel the Teessiders up to fourth in the Championship.
Boro made three changes to the side that won at Portsmouth at the weekend. Richie Smallwood and Julio Arca coming in for the injured Nicky Bailey and suspended Rhys Williams, and Marvin Emnes coming in for Faris Haroun who dropped to the bench.
Barnsley made four changes from the side that drew with Forest on Saturday, with Doyle, Dawson, Dagnall and Gray coming in for McEveley, Smith, Tonge and Digby respectively.
The first chance came the way of the visitors when the ball found its way to Andy Gray in the box, but he could only stab an effort towards Jason Steele in the boro goal.
Julio Arca then turned on the edge of the Barnsley box, but his powerful effort went well over Luke Steele’s crossbar. The Argentinian midfielder nearly turned provider minutes later as his cross just evaded the advancing Emnes before Jutkiewicz managed to reach the ball on the byline but he could only nod wide.
Barnsley forward Craig Davies looked most likely to find the net for the visitors. The former Chesterfield man lashed an effort goal wards minutes later, but his powerful effort went just wide of the Boro goal.
The home side almost broke the deadlock shortly after on two occasions.
First Barry Robson’s fantastically chipped through-ball found Emnes in the box, but the Dutchman had his half volley blocked on the line by the Barnsley keeper, Steele.
This was followed shortly after by a neat passing move by the home side and Justin Hoyte’s inviting ball across the six-yard-box which just evaded the onrushing Jutkiewicz as he slid for what would have been a certain goal.
Emnes almost found a way through again shortly after but after he beat Nathan Doyle in the area, he could only strike the ball in to the side netting.
Doyle then had the best chance for the Tykes in a sloppy first half but his volley from a poor Boro clearance flew straight over the bar and in to the home support.
Boro’s dominance finally paid off on the hour mark when Barry Robson’s whipped corner was met by an unmarked Seb Hines in the box who nodded into the bottom corner.
Despite being firmly in the ascendancy, the home side sat back in the closing stages in a bid to protect their lead and they were nearly made to pay for their cautiousness with 89 minutes on the clock.
Jay McEveley, on as a sub late on, got away from his marker and glanced his header goalwards, but Boro stopper Jason Steele got across and gathered the ball on the line to save the home sides blushes.
Barnsley continued to frantically throw men forward and were made to pay again deep in to stoppage time. A loose clearance from keeper Luke Steele on the edge of the eighteen yard box landed straight at the feet of sub Bart Ogbeche, 25 yards out, who calmly chipped the ball into the back of the empty net via the post.
