TEN-MAN Middlesbrough crashed out of the Championship play-off places as they slumped to a resounding 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Derby County.

Matej Vydra’s hat-trick saw the Rams leapfrog their opponents, with the Czech striker opening the scoring in the first half after a slick one-two.

Vydra added a second goal from the penalty spot at the start of the second half, and ensured he would leave with the match ball as he took advantage of a goalkeeping error from Darren Randolph to add a third shortly after the hour mark.

Boro were already down to ten men by that stage, with Daniel Ayala having received a deserved red card after he hacked down David Nugent despite already being on a booking.

The defeat sees Boro drop to seventh position, and places a huge question mark over their promotion prospects given they have now won just two of their last six home games.

With Jonny Howson suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Birmingham, Garry Monk opted for a complete central-midfield overhaul and also left out Grant Leadbitter.

Adam Forshaw and Adam Clayton were reunited at the heart of midfield, with the latter returning after a six-game absence from the first-team fold.

Wednesday’s win saw Boro leapfrog Derby to reclaim a place in the play-off places, and the Teessiders began as if they were determined to hold on to their position in the top six.

Martin Braithwaite drilled a long-range free-kick narrowly over the bar, before the hosts almost claimed the lead through the in-form Britt Assombalonga.

Assombalonga already boasts 11 goals for the season, and he almost added a 12th when he stabbed in a shot after Ayala flicked on Cyrus Christie’s long throw, only for Derby goalkeeper Scott Carson to make a superb point-blank save.

The Rams had barely figured as an attacking threat to that point, but Gary Rowett’s side took the lead with their first meaningful foray forward less than a minute later.

It was a well-worked goal, with Vydra drifting into the area and playing a slick one-two with former Boro forward Nugent before lashing a fierce 12-yard finish past Randolph.

The goal shook Boro, and it took the hosts ten or 15 minutes to regroup and begin to find their stride again. They enjoyed plenty of possession in deep-lying positions, but struggled to make much of an inroad behind a well-drilled Derby defence.

Their best first-half moments were set up by Stewart Downing, with the former England winger delivering a series of dangerous crosses and set-pieces.

He swung over an inviting ball from the right on the half-hour mark, only for Braithwaite to direct a first-time volley well wide, and set up another chance from a corner five minutes later. Assombalonga stole ahead of his marker to meet the set-piece delivery, but could only glance a header wide of the target.

Derby’s main threat came on the counter-attack, and Randolph had to get down well to keep out Tom Lawrence’s strike after the midfielder cut in from the left-hand side.

Boro’s final first-half chance came on the stroke of the interval, and should really have seen the hosts draw level. Christie did well to work the space to deliver a cross from the right, but Fabio da Silva headed over despite meeting the ball inside the six-yard box.

It proved to be a crucial miss, as Derby doubled their lead from the penalty spot in the first three minutes of the second half.

Braithwaite sloppily conceded possession in his own half, enabling Nugent to play Vydra into the area. The Czech forward went tumbling under a challenge from Ayala, and picked himself up to roll the subsequent spot-kick into the corner of the net.

Ayala was fortunate to remain on the field given he had already been booked in the first half, but it did not take the Spaniard long to earn himself an early bath.

He senselessly clattered into the back of Nugent as the Derby striker held up the ball close to the halfway line, and referee Simon Hooper rightly issued a red card.

With a man advantage, it only took Derby three minutes to extend their lead, with Vydra claiming his hat-trick.

Ben Gibson’s back-pass put Randolph under pressure, and when the Boro goalkeeper was only able to spoon the ball up in the air, Vydra gratefully received possession before slotting home.

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Randolph; Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Fabio; Clayton, Forshaw; Downing (Bamford 79), Braithwaite (Fry 67), Johnson (Traore 55); Assombalonga.

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Friend, Leadbitter, Fletcher.

Derby (4-2-3-1):  Carson; Baird, Keogh, Davies, Forsyth; Huddlestone, Ledley (Russell 83); Weimann, Vydra (Thorne 66), Lawrence; Nugent (Martin 66).

Subs (not used): Mitchell (gk), Wisdom, Pearce, Olsson.