Middlesbrough have returned to second position in the Championship table courtesy of a 3-2 victory at Queens Park Rangers in Friday night's affair at Loftus Road.
The result has moved Aitor Karanka's team above Brighton & Hove Albion into second and now just two points behind the league leaders Burnley. QPR, meanwhile, remain 11th and still 11 points outside of the playoff positions.
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The game's first attempt on target came in the fourth minute when Alejandro Faurlin lined up a strike outside the Boro box, but his effort was straight at Greek stopper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.
The visitors were a threat as the game opened up, however, and took the lead in the 18th minute when Jordan Rhodes took advantage of some sloppy defending from QPR defender Grant Hall before rolling his effort into the bottom corner.
The home side responded in the 10-minute period that followed, but they were struggling to create clear opportunities, with Sebastian Polter failing to get the better of Boro's mean defence.
QPR levelled the scores in spectacular fashion, however, with Jamie Mackie's wicked strike in the 31st minute hitting the crossbar and bouncing over the line to send the home supporters into jubilation.
Stewart Downing attempted to find the top corner down the other end in the final moments of the first period, but the former England international missed the target as the two teams entered the interval on level terms.
Albert Adomah picked out Rhodes with across as Boro came close to a second in the 47th minute, but the striker could only head over the crossbar from close range.
Adomah was again involved just three minutes later when he went down inside the QPR box under contact from Faurlin, which handed Grant Leadbitter the chance to make it 2-1 from the penalty spot. Leadbitter sent his spot kick towards the bottom corner, but Alex Smithies was down to make a fine save.
From the resulting corner, however, which came from Leadbitter, Gaston Ramirez headed past Smithies to send Boro into the lead. QPR were then undone by another corner in the 56th minute as Ben Gibson made it 3-1 from close range.
More smart goalkeeping from Smithies prevented Ramirez from making it four just before the hour, before Tjarron Chery just fired wide of the post down the other end 20 minutes from time.
Rhodes had another excellent chance to score his second 15 minutes from time after more sloppy defending from the hosts, but Smithies got down to make the stop once again.
QPR gave themselves a lifeline in the 86th minute when Chery struck past Konstantopoulos from all of 25 yards, but the visitors, who missed a golden chance through Adam Forshaw in stoppage time, held on in the latter stages to record three vital points.
Matt Law
