Two clubs that Brian Clough represented as a player and managed with equal distinction failed to provide a spectacle befitting of the great man, but that will matter little to Middlesbrough, who sealed an unlikely victory thanks to a goal two minutes from time by Merouane Zemmama, a substitute.
It was the midfield player’s first goal for the club, dispatched from the edge of the area to ease the home side’s relegation fears in the npower Championship, while compounding those of Derby County.
In front of the Riverside Stadium’s lowest crowd for a league match in history — 13,712 — Derby led through a first-half penalty from Jamie Ward but were pegged back with 17 minutes remaining by a header from Seb Hines.
Almost five years ago to the day, Middlesbrough were beating Roma in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup, but their aims at present are rather less grandiose, underlined by another pitifully meagre crowd.
Their travails at the wrong end of the table were explained in part as Paul Smith, the goalkeeper on loan from Nottingham Forest, became the 36th player to feature this season for the Teesside club, who have long since forgotten what it is like to enjoy the luxury of a settled starting line-up.
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However, it was Smith’s Derby counterpart, Frank Fielding, who was the busier. He was forced to smother at the feet of Scott McDonald as the Australia forward made an early foray into the area, before making a comfortable save to keep out Hines’s header from a free kick by Barry Robson as the home team edged a turgid midfield slog.
With Robbie Savage, the Derby captain, dropped to the bench, the visiting side had posed little threat before taking a 32nd-minute lead courtesy of a first goal for the club by Jamie Ward. The forward exploited a ponderous Middlesbrough back line to run on to a measured through-ball from Theo Robinson, only to have his surge towards goal halted by a clumsy challenge from Nicky Bailey.
Karl Evans, the referee, was faced with one of his easier decisions of the season in pointing to the spot and Ward, who arrived on loan from Sheffield United in January, struck an uncompromising penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock.
That Bailey escaped with a caution when the midfield player appeared to be the last man for the home team was the only positive that Middlesbrough could take into the interval, a long-range effort from Robson having come closest to restoring parity.
In mitigation, there was a marked improvement from Middlesbrough after undoubtedly some harsh words at the interval from Tony Mowbray, the manager, and Fielding was forced into smart saves to keep out efforts from Leroy Lita and Marvin Emnes, who had replaced Richard Smallwood at the half. At the other end, however, only a marginal offside prevented Chris Porter, also on at the break, for the injured Ward, from doubling the advantage with a close-range header just before the hour.
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Middlesbrough (4-4-2): P Smith — T McMahon, S Hines, R Williams, J Bennett — B Robson, N Bailey, R Smallwood (sub: M Emnes, 59min), A Taylor — S McDonald (sub: M Zemmama, 81), L Lita. Substitutes not used: C Ripley, M Haas, T Kink, J Grounds, M Tavares. Booked: Bailey.
Derby County (4-4-2): F Fielding — J Brayford, S Barker, D Ayala, G Roberts — C Doyle (sub: B Davies, 75), M Addison, P Green, S Pearson — T Robinson, J Ward (sub: C Porter, 46). Substitutes not used: M Duke, S Davies, R Savage, J Buxton, A Bueno. Booked: Porter, Roberts, Green.
Referee: K Evans.