Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Middlesbrough - TEENAGE substitute Darren Bent popped up at the back post with his first touch of the match to hand Ipswich Town all three points against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old, whose only other goal for the Tractor Boys came in a 4-1 defeat at Newcastle in November, struck a second-half winner to boost their slim hopes of preserving their top-flight status.

Third from bottom Ipswich's victory will set alarm bells ringing furthermore on Wearside, as the Suffolk outfit are now just two points behind Sunderland with two games to go.

A depleted Boro, who were hoping to win themselves to help their push to better their highest ever Premiership placing of ninth, never got going and few will argue that George Burley's men deserved to claim a much-needed victory.

Riverside chief Steve McClaren's side have now lost both of their League matches since he called for his players to show 100 per cent until the end of the current campaign after their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final.

Boro entertain Chelsea on Saturday and then Leeds on the last day of the season and McClaren will be hoping his side can go out with a bang after what can only be described as a Cup hangover.

Boro boss McClaren had to make four changes to the side which lost 3-1 at home to Blackburn on Saturday.

Teenager Stewart Downing was handed his debut as a replacement for Aussie Luke Wilskhire who was named amongst the substitutes.

Downing, a 17-year-old who has attracted the attention of top-flight clubs over the past 12 months, was handed the opportunity to impress down the left flank after starring for the reserves. Unusually Allan Johnston lined up on the right.

Colin Cooper made his first start since the tragic death of his two-year-old son Finlay. The centre-back had not played since the 2-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester United on January 26 and came in for Gianluca Festa (groin).

Frenchman Michael Debeve and Szilard Nemeth were also drafted in to the starting XI after McClaren had to deal with an injury-crisis.

For Ipswich there was no place for ex-Hartlepool midfielder Tommy Miller, who was unable to shake off a foot injury sustained against Arsenal on Sunday, Sixto Peralta filled in.

And it was the Italian, on loan until the end of the season from Inter Milan, who caused Boro immediate problems.

The skilful midfielder was pulled back by Johnston just outside the penalty area and Peralta's curling free-kick marginally flew over the bar.

That came just seconds after Marcus Bent powered over when he should have found the target.

Ipswich were playing some nice football and they were not allowing the visitors much of the ball.

But despite some good incisive play from Jamie Clapham, Peralta and Bent there was very little in the way of getting in behind their opponents' backline.

That changed when striker Marcus Stewart put Cooper under pressure and the Ipswich man broke clean through and he only had goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to beat. However, Stewart failed to trouble the Australian and the ball trickled wide.

Boro were struggling to keep Ipswich at bay and when Peralta fired in a cross from the right Martijn Reuser should have broke the deadlock when he headed over the bar.

Despite Boro's failure to hold on to the ball in the final third, the hosts were not able to maintain their bright start.

This allowed McClaren's men to get more involved seven minutes before half-time and both Paul Ince and Debeve had shots off target - the Teessiders' first and second of the game.

A dour first half could only be improved upon and it was not long before Ipswich had a chance to boost their survival hopes.

But Stewart, scorer of six goals during the current campaign, failed to hit the target a second time when his attempted volley went over.

That miss nearly proved costly when Boro skipper Paul Ince tried something out of the extraordinary.

The former England international spotted 'keeper Andy Marshall off his line from all of 45 yards, but his drive flew into the stand behind the goal.

This led to Burley making the substitution which changed the game. Mis-firing Stewart and Marcus Bent were both replaced by former Boro star Alun Armstrong and Darren Bent on 57 minutes.

A minute later and with his first touch of the ball, a somewhat surprised Darren Bent touched home a Mark Venus corner to put the hosts in front.

Benito Carbone did his best to reduce the arrears soon after but his curling shot beat Marshall but hit the side netting.

England centre-back Gareth Southgate forced Marshall into a superb save with quarter of an hour to go as Ipswich were holding firm.

And, in fact, Ipswich could have been celebrating a larger victory had either Armstrong's effort, which hit the up-right, or Clapham's low-drive, tipped round the post by Schwarzer, found its way into the net.