Middlesbrough 1 Burnley 0: Nsue’s strike enough for Boro to see off Burnley and take summit

Emilio Nsue’s second-half strike was enough for Aitor Karanka’s side to bag a crucial three points against the play-off chasing Clarets.

Nsue tapped home his second goal of the season – his first at the Riverside – from one of the few chances Boro managed to get on target all night.

But it was enough for the Teesside club to claim their eighth home win of the season and top the league following Brighton’s slip-up at QPR.

Boro started the game brightly and Diego Fabbrini won a foul in a good position on the left side of the box within nine minutes.

But Burnley cleared the danger and Adam Clayton’s follow-up effort was well wide.

The home side produced a flowing move in the 22nd minute when Nsue found space down the right.

He laid the ball off for Adam Forshaw – in for captain Grant Leadbitter – who did well to find Stewart Downing, but Kike could not get on the end of his cross.

Clayton hit an ambitious long-range effort which flew well wide of Tom Heaton’s left-hand post a few minutes later.

The visitors created their first chance of the game at the other end just before the half-hour mark, and Daniel Ayala did well to block David Jones’s shot from the edge of the box.

Dimi Konstantopoulos had to be on his toes in the 37th minute when Burnley broke again and George Boyd got a powerful shot away which the Boro goalkeeper steered round a post.

The breakthrough came out of nowhere nine minutes into the second half.

After some neat build-up play, Downing found Forshaw inside the box and the midfielder did well before pulling back to Nsue, who side-footed a first-time effort past Heaton with Boro’s first shot on target.

Burnley pushed for a quick leveller and might have found it when Marney played in Scott Arfield, but his shot was saved by Konstantopoulos.

Boro then surged forward in the 62nd minute as the game started to open up and Downing hit a powerful shot which Heaton tipped over the bar.

The home side continued to look for a second and in the 68th minute they went close again when George Friend received a return ball from Forshaw, but his first-time volley was easy for Heaton to handle.

Substitute Christian Stuani almost made it two for Boro with three minutes to go when the Uruguayan forward rounded Heaton, but he could not get his angled shot on target.

Albert Adomah should have wrapped it up in the final seconds of stoppage-time but Heaton did well to block his effort.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Clayton, Forshaw (Adomah 89), Nsue, Fabbrini (Leadbitter 65), Downing, Garcia (Stuani 76). Unused substitutes: Amorebieta, De Pena, Mejias, Zuculini.

Burnley: Heaton, Darikwa (Hennings 85), Duff, Keane, Mee, Barton, Boyd (Kightly 77), Marney, Jones (Vokes 71), Arfield, Gray. Unused substitutes: Lowton, Taylor, Ward, Mitchell.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).