Michael Carrick praised match-winner Marcus Forss for adapting to an unfamiliar role to help Middlesbrough continue their charge up the Championship.

Forss grabbed his fifth goal for Boro since moving from Brentford in the summer to seal a 1-0 win over rivals for a playoff place Millwall at the Riverside.

The 23-year-old created space for himself by brushing Murray Wallace off the ball before firing low and perfectly inside the far corner of George Long’s goal in the 54th minute.

It was a finish from a player renowned more as a striker than someone on the right of a forward line, where Carrick handed him another opportunity.

Middlesbrough goalscorer Marcus Forss (left) and Millwall's Murray Wallace battle for the ball (Picture: Will Matthews/PA Wire)

And the Middlesbrough head coach thinks Forss can take plenty of satisfaction from his goal – having been preferred to Isaiah Jones once more.

Carrick said: “Marcus has been great. The way he has gone about it, with his attitude, and tried something a little bit different has been great.

“It is not brand new to him but it is different. Just because he is playing wide doesn’t mean he can’t get in the box and score goals and he has shown that today.”

Middlesbrough moved up a place to fourth by beating Millwall, courtesy of a seventh win from the last eight league games – a far cry from 21st position when Carrick took charge in October.

He said: “I’m delighted. Not just with the win, but really pleased with the first half and how we controlled it. We didn’t get as many chances as we wanted, but how we pressed and counter-pressed, I thought we were good.

“They put us under pressure a bit late on but the boys defended really well, it’s not easy when there are so many bodies in the box. Sometimes it feels even better when you grind it out.”

Middlesbrough: Steffen, Smith, Fry, McNair, Giles, Howson, Hackney, Forss (Archer 73), Akpom, McGree (Bola 90), Crooks (Watmore 78). Unused substitutes: Mowatt, Hoppe, Roberts, Bilongo.

Millwall: Long, McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper (Saville 55), Wallace, Mitchell (Shackleton 83), Styles, Honeyman (Esse 83), Flemming, Voglsammer (Bennett 70), Bradshaw. Unused substitutes: Evans, Cresswell, Bialkowski.

Referee: M Donohue (Lancashire).

Middlesbrough's Marcus Forss shows 'right' attitude to delight Michael Carrick