A POOR Middlesbrough hit a season low at the highest League ground in the country.

And while the altitude of The Hawthorns may surprise many, by the end of the game on Saturday what came more of a shock was just how Boro returned to the North-East with just the 1-0 defeat.

Quite simply, Boro were not able to hit the heights on the pitch which has seen them climb into the Premiership's top six over the course of the last four months - something the club's supporters are now coming to expect when they play away from the Riverside.

It is now six defeats from eight games on their travels this season; scoring just four goals in the process - three of which came in the win over Spurs on September 28 - and they have now lost their last five away matches. The emphatic victory at Spurs seems so long ago for Boro and in particular record signing Massimo Maccarone.

The Italian remains the club's top scorer with just four goals and he has not found the net since the trip to White Hart Lane.

And against West Brom, Maccarone was clearly a man lacking in confidence. He could have played all day and he would not have scored.

Manager Steve McClaren put the £8.15m striker out of his misery by hauling him off with 16 minutes to go, but McClaren must be slightly worried.

The Boro chief refused to single out just one player for criticism, though he admitted his side had one of those games.

Asked whether he was worried about his forwards' lack of goals, McClaren said: "I just think that there were a number of players out there who did not give us a good performance." Too true.

Forty-five minutes after the match, Maccarone was led back to pitchside by strike partner Alen Boksic. Maccarone's low morale was there for all to see. Sat on the bench struggling to find words with his head bowed, while Boksic was trying his best to lift the youngster's spirit.

McClaren always said his summer signing from Empoli would be up and down in his first season in England, and that is exactly what is happening.

After his exciting start he has gone backwards. However, Saturday's defeat was not just down to him. Against West Brom - without a win in ten games - there were a number of Boro players who battled their way through anaemic performances.

Had it not been for Schwarzer and Southgate the narrow scoreline would, and should, have been much worse.

Geremi had his worst game since arriving from Real Madrid; Ugo Ehiogu looked nervous throughout the clash on the ground where he started his football career; while full-backs Stuart Parnaby and Tony Vidmar struggled to cope with wing-backs Igor Balis and Neil Clement.

It took until former Sunderland striker Danny Dichio arrived as a substitute for the winner to be scored on 73 minutes. But the game should have been wrapped up long before that. The game was an uphill struggle for Boro who, despite hitting the woodwork twice, did not even muster a single shot on target.

Geremi's shooting was way off target, but Clement's certainly wasn't and he went close to opening the scoring.

The former Boro target's first-time drive from distance just shaved the Boro post and then his low free-kick was saved by Schwarzer.

Poor defending and failure to show composure in possession allowed West Brom in again and again, but Schwarzer was standing firm.

The Baggies' bad form in front of goal - their record of ten in 15 games prior to Saturday was the worst in the top-flight - was evident again though.

Lively front-man Jason Roberts battled hard, but he never looked like scoring. His side-kick, Lee Hughes, disappointed and he was replaced by Dichio.

Dichio was on hand to turn in a loose ball after Boro failed to clear their lines from a free-kick. His side's first goal for over five and a half hours.

Boro then rallied for the remaining 17 minutes. But the closest McClaren's men came was when Noel Whelan hit the crossbar and Job rose to head a Tony Vidmar cross against the woodwork.

Job and West Brom centre-back Darren Moore clashed heads in the incident and both were left sprawled in the penalty area for three minutes. Both players had to be replaced as they were taken to hospital, but nothing could be done to cure Boro's away day blues.

Result: West Brom 1 Middlesbrough 0.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.