THOMAS Kaminski kept Rovers in it before an improved final quarter helped Rovers to back-to-back away wins and up to ninth in the Championship table.

They had to ride their luck, fortunate to escape a penalty and a red card in the first half, while Kaminski pulled off a superb save to deny Jonny Howson before Nathan Wood’s follow-up came back off the post.

Though just as Tony Mowbray was preparing a triple substitution, Rovers hit the front courtesy of a fine move finished off by Joe Rothwell. There on in, they could have extended the lead, with Bradley Dack in particular looking back to himself.

They managed the final stages well, seeing through six added minutes without incident, and now have seven points out of a possible nine in 2021.

Rovers made one change as Jacob Davenport came in for Bradley Dack who dropped to the bench.

The visitors settled well, Davenport’s ball into the box finding Barry Douglas who teed up Adam Armstrong and his first time shot flashed wide of the target.

A midfield change was required eight minutes as Bradley Johnson limped off, Rovers’ injury problems continuing as John Buckley was stripped and sent on, with no Lewis Holtby in the squad.

A huge moment in the game arrived with 16 minutes on the watch, Jarrad Branthwaite’s stray, outstretched boot in the box catching Dael Fry as he attacked a Paddy McNair cross. As the Middlesbrough defender stayed down, the home players screamed for a penalty. They could see the extent of the damage caused to the central defender who after several minutes of treatment was taken off with a nasty gash under his eye.

Neil Warnock fumed from the touchline at how both officials missed the decision, and for the next period of the game it was more entertaining watching both managers on the touchline than it was the action that was consistently being broken up by fouls.

Indeed, that somewhat overshadowed the rest of the half that proved to be an incredibly tough watch, broken up by a series of free kicks and lacking any quality.

Rovers would have known how fortunate they were not to concede a penalty for Branthwaite’s foul, and would have been wary of the possibility of the referee looking to give Boro a leg up.

That looked to have arrived in the 28th minute as Davenport, fortunate to escape a booking early on, was carded after Britt Assombalonga went down on the edge of the box after Branthwaite had failed to clear. Contact looked minimal, but the referee gave it, with Kaminski needing to be alert to tip over a well taken Assombalonga free kick.

The main action came from set pieces for the hosts, Marc Bola and Sam Morsy seeing low efforts drift wide of Kaminski’s left-hand post after Rovers had cleared the initial danger.

For Rovers, they failed to find a shot on target and went a ninth first half without a goal in their last 10 matches.

Boro’s right flank was looking a danger for Rovers, Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier linking up to good effect, the winger seeing his near post effort tipped around the corner by Kaminski.

A rare bit of space for Rovers was wasted by Travis holding onto the ball too long, rather than releasing Rothwell, but it was tough going as an attacking force.

Indeed, it felt like a 1-0 defeat waiting to happen, Kaminski denying Jonny Howson’s header with a stunning save before Nathan Wood’s follow-up came back off the post.

McNair’s set plays were causing real trouble, but Boro as a whole were looking much the more likely.

Yet out of nowhere, as Rovers prepared a triple substitution, they took an unlikely lead. Gallagher, Dack and Brereton were all ready to come on as Rovers put together a fine move, Elliott running onto an Armstrong pass to square for Rothwell who ghosted in at the back post to score.

Those two were then replaced, as was Buckley, as Mowbray carried out his intended substitution, with Rovers having a much more attacking look to them.

The goal increased the importance of Kaminski’s save, Rovers chasing a second as Douglas turned over on the stretch as Gallagher attacked an Armstrong cross.

Armstrong was then played in after industrious work from Brereton, though attempting to lift the ball over, rather than taking it round, the advancing goalkeeper, saw Marcus Bettinelli get a good touch to his effort to keep it out.

There were chances for Rovers to kill the game, a wonderful move saw Dack free Gallagher who teed up Armstrong, and after steadying himself, should at least have hit the target as he curled over.

Rovers managed the closing stages without incident and see out a clean sheet and three points on the road.