Middlesbrough FC maintain home fortress with win over Luton Town

The latest victory for Chris Wilder’s team lifted them above Luton and into the Sky Bet Championship’s play-off zone once again.

It was a tough battle on Teesside in which neither side really got going but Paddy McNair’s fifth goal of the season in the 17th minute from the penalty spot paved the way for the victory.

Substitute Duncan Watmore prevented a nervy finish when he wrapped up the points with three minutes left by scoring his sixth of the campaign - although Harry Cornick pulled one back for Luton in the sixth minute of added time.

Just days after the Riverside created a special atmosphere to help Boro reach the sixth round of the FA Cup by beating Tottenham, Wilder made two changes to his attack. Aaron Connolly and Folarin Balogun were recalled ahead of Watmore and Andraz Sporar - and both players started well.

However, the Hatters - with only two defeats in their previous 13 league games - were well aware of the significance of this one too, with just two points separating the teams before kick-off.

After a slow start, Luton found themselves chasing the game when Reece Burke tripped Balogun in the area after he controlled Isaiah Jones’ ball.

McNair calmly sent goalkeeper Alex Palmer the wrong way from 12 yards with a neatly side-footed penalty into the bottom corner.

A few minutes later the goalscorer led the protests to officials when Cameron Jerome appeared to plant his high studs into Anfernee Dijksteel’s groin area. The striker was cautioned by referee Jeremy Simpson.

Jerome almost levelled things soon after half an hour too, when he stretched to turn a delivery into the centre of the Middlesbrough goal where Joe Lumley was on hand to stop.

Other than that there was very little for either side to shout about before the break.

Luton showed more attacking threat immediately after the restart and would have equalised had Lumley not thwarted Elijah Adebayo twice after he was played in by Jerome’s clever flick.

But Henri Lansbury’s late challenge on Jones, which earned a caution, in front of the dugouts brought a lift from the home crowd and the men in red shirts.

With 19 minutes to go Middlesbrough’s coach Leo Percovich was cautioned for his part in some pushing and shoving by both sets of players following Jones’ attempts to get the ball from Amari’i Bell on the floor.

That was followed by a brilliant overhead kick from Connolly soon after which flew at Palmer from 20 yards.

Just when it seemed there would be no more goals, Watmore was played in down the right. He cut inside Burke after his cross was blocked and Palmer failed to prevent the effort finding the inside of his near post.

Luton attempted to stage something of a comeback in seven minutes of added time when substitute Cornick was allowed to convert from Adebayo’s low delivery. Time, though, ran out for the visitors.