A LOOK at the key moments and stats from the game at the Riverside.

FRIEDEL: A virtual bystander for most of the afternoon apart from one blinding save from Beni Carbone...7

NEILL: Solid enough defensively but gave the ball away too easily at times when he wasn't under pressure...7

BJORNEBYE: Did what was asked of him as Boro posed few problems down the flanks...7

BERG: Will he ever get an easier game in the Premiership than this against what was a powder-puff Boro attack?...7

SHORT: Rovers' best defender on the day with another commanding display at the back...7

TUGAY: Currently suffering from a dip in form. Struggled to influence proceedings from midfield as we know he can...6

DUNN: Grew in confidence as the game wore on and fully deserved his goal after winning the penalty himself...7

GILLESPIE: Starved of service on the right before he was eventually sacrificed as part of a second half reshuffle...6

COLE: Worked the line well by making some clever runs and showed his striking instincts with a brave header for the second...8

YORDI: Can't do any more than score and his second goal in as many games capped a hard-working performance...7

*DUFF: Surely the Premiership's most effective player at the minute. Boro simply couldn't handle him as he wreaked havoc on the left...8

SUBS:

FLITCROFT (for Gillespie, 56) 6, HUGHES (for Yordi, 68) 6.

NOT USED: JOHANSSON, UNSAL, KELLY (GK)

MIDDLESBROUGH

SCHWARZER...Let down. 6

FESTA...Not the best week of his life. 6

SOUTHGATE...Boro's best player. 7

MUSTOE...Midfield hatchet man. 6

INCE...All mouth and no trousers. 6

CARBONE...Flattered to deceive. 6

WINDASS...The name says it all. 5

STOCKDALE...Given a roasting by Duff. 5

WILKSHIRE...Totally anonymous. 5

JOHNSTON...Completely ineffective. 5

QUEUDRUE...Bad hair day. 5

SUBS:

MARINELLI...(for Johnston, 46) 5

DEBEVE...(for Wilkshire, 46) 5

NEMETH...(for Mustoe, 75) 6

TALE OF THE TAPE

(Rovers first)

10...Goal attempts...8

6...Shots on target...3

0...Woodwork...0

1...Offsides...1

9...Corners...7

20...Free kicks...15

Referee: Mr N Barry...7

Bookings:

YELLOW CARDS: Rovers: Berg, Flitcroft (both fouls), Cole (ungentlemanly conduct)

Boro: Mustoe, Wilkshire (both fouls), Festa (ungentlemanly conduct)

RED CARDS: Queudrue (violent conduct)

Attendance: 26,932

Time for action:

27 Yordi swaps passes with Andy Cole but Mark Schwarzer then denies him with a sharp block

28 Yordi flicks on Stig Bjornebye's throw but Cole's volley is deflected wide by a defender

33 It's 1-0 as Damien Duff goes on a stunning run before crossing for Yordi to tap home at the far post

40 Paul Ince shoots wide from the edge of the box after latching onto a Dean Windass lay-off

42 Cole just fails to get a decisive touch on a cross from Duff with the goal at his mercy

63 Brad Friedel flings himself to the left to claw away a Carbone free-kick which looks destined for the top corner

74 It's 2-0 to Rovers as Cole powers home a header from a Duff corner

82 David Dunn then ices the cake by converting number three from the spot

88 Franck Queudrue sees red for hacking Dunn down

90 Szilard Nemeth prods home for Boro but it's of little consolation