Middlesbrough 0 Leicester City 1

FRUSTRATION continues for everyone connected with Boro after a solitary Lloyd Dyer goal stole the points at the Riverside, writes GORDON COX.

Tony McMahon for the injured Justin Hoyte was the only change from the side which drew with Coventry, Hoyte having picked up ankle ligament damage at the Ricoh Arena. That meant a first home start for Joe Bennett.

By contrast former Boro skipper Nigel Pearson made five changes to the Leicester side beaten at home for the first time in a year by Preston on Saturday.

Without a win away from home, Pearson dropped Robbie Neilson, Dany N'Guessan and Steve Howard to the bench and Ritchie Wellens and Aleksander Tunchev altogether as in came Michael Morrison, Andy King, Lloyd Dyer, Yann Kermorgant and former Liverpool defender Jack Hobbs.

A stray ball from Sean St Ledger could have caused Boro a few problems with a minute played as the Ireland international underhit a pass intended for Rhys Williams. City skipper Matt Oakley intercepted and went for goal, only for St Ledger to atone and block well.

There was an even tempo in the early exchanges as both sides probed without success, or finesse, looking for an early breakthrough.

Too many passes went astray but from one, off a Leicester boot midway inside the visitors' half, Adam Johnson intercepted and tried to find Marvin Emnes inside the City penalty area. His cross was deflected for a corner that carried no threat, but attacking promise was there.

However, the crowd had to wait until the 19th minute for a shot on target and 21 minutes for one from Boro as St Ledger did well to block from Dyer and Jeremie Aliadiere brought a decent save from Chris Weale with a low drive from 22 yards.

But they were the highlights of a featureless opening half hour where neither side could find a way through despite plenty of effort.

During a break in play when Gary O'Neil was receiving treatment Gareth Southgate made a tactical switch, moving Julio Arca to the left of midfield, Johnson to the right and O'Neil, treatment concluded, to the centre.

Minutes later Johnson cut in from the right and was brought down on the edge of the D, Arca sending the resulting free-kick a yard over.

A few minutes later, around eight from the break, David Wheater almost opened the scoring - thankfully he didn't, as he had overhit a backpass that Brad Jones did well to clear.

That apart, the signs were more encouraging for Boro, if the first half hadn't been that enlightening.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 0 Leicester City 0

A looping header from Aliadiere that was on target but never a threat and a 20-yard drive well over from Bennett - unlucky as the ball bobbled just before he hit it - were the opening shots across the bows from Boro in the early exchanges of the second half.

When Bennett wriggled his way through and set up Emnes on the edge of the Leicester box a few minutes later there was hope, but despite a timely slip from Wayne Brown in the centre of the City defence, that hope quickly evaporated as the Dutchman shot wildly over.

Following a double change from each side and a close-range header from David Wheater saved on the line by Weale, for the third game running a referee's decision worked against Boro.

With 64 minutes played, Leroy Lita, on for Emnes, chased a long ball and charged down a Weale clearance just up from the corner flag.

The goalkeeper appeared to be momentarily hurt, but as Boro took a quick throw he hobbled back towards goal only to be beaten by a sumptuous 50-yard effort from Johnson, who was hugging the touchline.

But referee Mark Haywood ordered that the throw be taken again - with Weale now back between the posts.

City continued to squeeze the game, but the Boro changes were having greater effect as Lita and Mark Yeates combined to cause problems and a foul on Aliadiere, which brought the game's first booking, was the only way the Frenchman was going to be stopped en route to goal.

Now there was life, hope and passion from fans who has been hugely frustrated in the opening 45 minutes.

St Ledger headed a Yeates cross for goal only to see Weale block on the line shortly before Williams had a low drive from the edge of the box blocked.

Wheater rose high to knock down a Johnson corner with 12 minutes remaining - just the second corner of the game for the home side - but City scrambled clear and Yeates, attempting an ambitious curling drive into the top corner, horribly misjudged when just up from the right-hand edge of the City penalty area.

But Boro had an almighty scare with eight minutes remaining as Howard, who had won a free-kick two yards from the edge of the Boro box, met the set-piece in front of goal. Jones saved well and the ball rolled onto the post.

However, the respite was brief as back came Leicester and this time it counted as Lloyd Dyer shot for goal from 14 yards, the ball deflected off McMahon and flew past a helpless Boro goalkeeper.

Salvation almost arrived with four minutes of normal time remaining but Weale produced an excellent one-handed save away to his right to turn away a deflected right-wing cross.

Boro, desperate to get something from the game, pushed forward and won a free-kick just up from the right-hand edge of the City penalty area, but Gary O'Neil cleared the bar by half a yard.

In the final of five minutes injury-time Wheater had a chance to snatch a point, but a low shot from 12 yards rolled agonisingly wide.

Middlesbrough: Jones; McMahon, Wheater (Capt), St Ledger, Bennett (Digard 86), O'Neil, Williams, Arca (Yeates 60), A Johnson, Emnes (Lita 60), Aliadiere. Unused subs: Coyne (gk); Hines, Grounds, Franks.

Leicester City: Weale; Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Morrison, King, Gallagher (Adams 70), Oakley (Capt), Dyer, Kermorgant (Howard 60), Fryatt (Waghorn 60). Unused subs: Logan (gk); Neilson, McGivern, N'Guessan.

Referee: Mark Haywood

Bookings

Middlesbrough: None

Leicester City: Oakley, 71, foul.

Attendance: 18,577

Conditions: Still and quite humid

Website Boro Man of the Match: Leroy Lita