Furious Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl slams 'zero performance' as Middlesbrough FC rival Michael Carrick eyes late play-off push

Against a Boro side without 10 first-team players and that started with just one fit centre half, Wednesday plumbed the depths en route to a painful setback.

Wednesday supporters continued to show stoic resistance from the stands, but there was little defiance from those in Owls jerseys at the Riverside, with players booed at the final whistle after coming over to clap visiting fans.

With six matches left in the season, the Owls are two points behind the side just outside of the drop zone in Plymouth, with their defeat to Bristol City being the only real crumb of comfort on the day.

Rohl said: "Our supporters are high-level, Premier League – from us, there was nothing.

"The players, the shape, everything – it was not good enough. It is a big, big disappointment after Friday when we invested a lot.

"It's about doing the basics right and I said before that we needed the attitude for such a game as today. It will be hard in the next six games to take something in this league (if Wednesday play like that).

"Middlesbrough are a good team who are doing well. To come here and take something, we have to do more. Now (we need) to show a reaction. I always expect my team to do the basics.

"We have six games to go and it's more of a difficult situation. There was not one (outfield) player in a good moment. After the game, it was very clear with my team. It was really hard to take; a zero performance.

"I always protect my players since I have arrived here and (don't) speak against them. But this was hard to take..."

Boro went in front just before the interval through Michael Ihiekwe's own goal and spurned a number of opportunities before Isaiah Jones’ deflected shot sealed victory on 73 minutes.

Sam Greenwood missed an 81st-minute penalty, when his effort struck the post.

The win extended tenth-placed Boro’s unbeaten run to six matches.

They are six points adrift of Norwich City, the side currently occupying the final play-off spot.

Head coach Michael Carrick said: "There comes a point towards the end of the season where you are where you are and you kind of understand that and grasp it and use it as a motivation.

"Of course, five or six games ago, it was a little bit about getting back to basics and being solid, hard to beat and trying to win games and we did that.

"We've just got to keep trying to win games and see where it takes us. There's swings week to week and you have to embrace that at this stage.

"After the first minutes, we were largely in control with a lot of good football and probably should have created more clear-cut chances than we did.

"But to keep a clean sheet and score two goals and play well, I'll take that."