A DEFEAT brought an end to Middlesbrough Under-21s’ first season in the Premier League when Chelsea left the Riverside with the points.

The 3-1 victory for the Blues means Boro must now wait to see if bottom club Leicester – who lost at Everton - stun the boys from Stamford Bridge in their only remaining game, knowing a Foxes win would force relegation on the Teessiders.

Chelsea took control when Charlie Colkett sent goalkeeper Joe Fryer the wrong way from the spot after Jonathan Burn had brought down Reece Mitchell.

A second arrived nine minutes before the break when Yasin Ben El-Mhanni converted from inside the box after a red shirt lost possession.

And then Mitchell added a third for the visitors shortly after the break when he tucked in from close range after a curling effort from Miro Muheim.

Middlesbrough did pull one back when the prolific Arnel Jakupovic scored for the 18th time in 18 games but that was that and Chelsea claimed the points.

Middlesbrough: Fryer, Burn (Morris 28), Elsdon, McGinley, Tinkler, Chapman, Wheatley, Jakupovic, McAloon, Kitching (Pattison 46). Subs: Coddington, Maloney.