MICHAEL CARRICK admitted his Middlesbrough side lacked the necessary cutting edge as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking – losing a second time this season to Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside.

Andreas Weimann proved the difference, making amends for missing an open goal in the 69th minute as he drilled home from the heart of the penalty area shortly after to ensure his side repeated their league win at the Riverside from earlier this season.

Carrick made seven changes to his starting line-up, and his understudies failed to impress as they failed to seriously threaten Blackburn’s debutant goalkeeper, Balazs Toth.

“We’re disappointed to lose the game, and definitely in the way that we did,” said Carrick. “No goal is a good goal to concede, but that was one I thought we could have done an awful lot more to stop.

“I’m disappointed with that. It was a tight game really, with not much in it. There wasn’t much of a spark or an attacking threat from either side. It always felt like a game where one goal would decide it. As it turned out, I was disappointed with that.

“We had moments, but we struggled to break them down. A couple of opportunities, but ultimately, we just couldn’t find it on the day.

“We just didn’t quite have that difference to be a good team. In the end, they found that moment, and it’s a disappointment.”

Rovers’ boss John Eustace said he wasn’t surprised to see Weimann bounce back quickly from his open goal miss.

NO WAY THROUGH: Middlesbrough's Riley McGree battles with Blackburn's Joseph Rankin-Costello and Sondre Tronstad on a frustrating day for the hosts in the FA Cup at The Riverside. Picture: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images

placeholder image — NO WAY THROUGH: Middlesbrough's Riley McGree battles with Blackburn's Joseph Rankin-Costello and Sondre Tronstad on a frustrating day for the hosts in the FA Cup at The Riverside. Picture: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images

"Andy’s been a top performer for a few years, and he doesn’t let anything get him too down,” said Eustace. “He was disappointed not to have scored earlier, but it’s a quality finish for the goal.

“Overall, I thought we were very good. We made some very positive changes, and the boys did really well. We need to be more clinical, of course we do. We created three or four great moments, but I’m just pleased that we’re through to the next round.”

Middlesbrough: Glover, Dijksteel, Edmundson, Clarke, Engel, Barlaser, McCabe (Hackney 76), Hamilton (Forss 65), Gilbert, McGree (Latte Lath 76), Burgzorg. Unused substitutes: Connor, van den Berg, Fry, McCormick, Matthews, Palmer.

Blackburn Rovers: Toth, Brittain, Hyam, Batth, Beck, Buckley, Tronstad, Weimann (O'Grady-Macken 90), Cantwell (Dolan 81), Rankin-Costello, Leonard (Gueye 82). Unused substitutes: Pears, McFadzean, Litherland, Tyjon, Dam, Pratt.

Referee: D Whitestone (Northamptonshire).