NORWICH 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1

AND so the pendulum swings again. Billed as a game Middlesbrough had to win to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive, last night’s victory over promotion rivals Norwich City could prove the key moment of a campaign that is heading towards a glorious climax.

Despite having reclaimed top spot as a result of their latest heart-stopping win, Boro still need at least one side to do them a favour with Bournemouth and Watford both capable of leapfrogging them later today.

But as they look ahead to their final two games against Fulham and Brighton, the Teessiders will be buoyed by the steeliness and resolve that secured victory in their biggest game of the season so far.

Alex Tettey’s ninth-minute own goal was ultimately the difference between two closely-matched sides, with the Norwich defender heading into his own net as Boro’s blistering start paid dividends.

But for all that Aitor Karanka’s side produced some flamboyant attacking play in the opening quarter, it was their defensive resilience in the second half in particular that eventually proved crucial.

Their 20th Championship clean sheet was easily the hardest earned, with Daniel Ayala performing superbly at the heart of the back four as he won a succession of headers and made a series of last-ditch blocks.

For all that Norwich bombarded the Boro penalty area late on, Dimi Konstantopoulos did not really have to make a meaningful save. If the season is to end in promotion, the fact the Teessiders have the best defensive record in the league will have been key.

Last night, though, it was crucial that Boro were at their attacking best from the off. A number of recent away displays had seen the Teessiders struggle to generate any kind of tempo in the opening stages, but just as in Tuesday’s win over Wolves, the first quarter of last night’s game featured a whirlwind of red-and-white attacking.

Time and time again, Patrick Bamford burst beyond an unexpectedly ramshackle Norwich defence, and with Albert Adomah and Lee Tomlin both enjoying plenty of joy down their respective flanks, Boro fully merited their early lead.

They had already gone close on a couple of occasions, with Jelle Vossen drilling an early half-volley over the crossbar after a deft flick-on from Bamford and former Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong producing an excellent last-ditch clearance to prevent Boro’s attacking duo linking up again as Bamford galloped down the left.

There was much to admire in the slickness of the visitors’ early attacking, although when the opening goal arrived, it was a messy affair.

Grant Leadbitter swung over a corner from the left, and with Vossen attempting to out-jump him at the front post, Tettey glanced a looping header into the far corner of his own net. Adomah helped the ball in at the far post, but it was already over the line by the time the winger applied a final touch.

For the next five or six minutes, the ball appeared to be trapped inside the Norwich penalty area, but try as they might, Boro couldn’t claim a second goal.

Tomlin went closest, keeping the ball alive at the byline and drilling in a shot that John Ruddy got down well to save, and Bamford also asked questions of the Norwich goalkeeper as he cut in from the left-hand side to fire in a low strike that was heading into the corner before Ruddy intervened.

Bamford started the day with a nomination for the Football League’s Player of the Year award, but he suffered an ankle knock that hampered his movement for a chunk of the first half, and his spell of immobility coincided with Norwich gaining a foothold in the game.

Initially, the hosts had looked nothing like a side who had won 12 of their previous 15 matches, but they grew in stature as the evening wore on, with Wes Hoolahan in particular causing problems from his position on the shoulder of lone striker Cameron Jerome.

One of the Canaries’ main threats came from crosses into the area, but when a golden opportunity finally presented itself midway through the first half, it went begging.

Bradley Johnson’s cushioned header from Steven Whittaker’s centre was perfectly positioned for Jonny Howson, but the midfielder somehow planted his own header wide from inside the six-yard box. In a game of such importance, it was a huge moment.

More first-half chances would have come Norwich’s way had it not been for a series of fantastic defensive headers from Ayala and Ben Gibson, with the former in particular providing some welcome physicality as he returned to the side.

Ayala’s aerial dominance kept Jerome at bay, and Boro came close to doubling their lead in the first minute of the second half as a still hobbling Bamford latched on to Adam Clayton’s through ball, only to angle his shot too close to Ruddy.

The intensity of the second period was something to behold, with Norwich’s attacking becoming increasingly desperate and Boro’s defensive shape becoming increasingly ragged as they attempted to keep the home side out.

There was a physical edge to the occasion all night, and while referee Robert Madley kept a lid on things reasonably well, Vossen was on the receiving end of a succession of questionable challenges that eventually took their toll and forced him off.

He was replaced by Adam Forshaw, a change that enabled Karanka to shore up his midfield, but Norwich continued to throw more and more men forward, and overlapping full-back Martin Olsson came close with a cross-shot that fizzed over the crossbar.

Boro’s second-half attacks were few and far between, but when Tomas Kalas released Tomlin into the Norwich half with 18 minutes left, the midfielder danced his way towards the edge of the area before unleashing a 25-yard thunderbolt that whistled just wide.

Bamford wasted another good opportunity with six minutes left, and while Norwich felt they should have had a penalty when Jerome’s cross hit a sliding George Friend on the arm, the home side’s final chance went begging when Gibson produced a sensational block to divert Russell Martin’s shot over the bar.