ADAMA TRAORE was the miscreant for the second weekend running as Middlesbrough’s miserable recent run continued with a 1-0 home defeat to Cardiff City.

Having been left out of the squad at Barnsley last weekend after he was late for the team bus, Traore conceded a decisive 84th-minute penalty as he recklessly fouled Nathaniel Mendez-Laing as he turned in the area.

Traore was nowhere near the ball as he brought Mendez-Laing crashing to the turf, and Joe Ralls stepped up to keep Cardiff within two points of Championship leaders Wolves.

Boro, on the other hand, have dropped into the bottom half of the table after failing to win any of their last five matches. The boos that accompanied the final whistle underlined the mounting frustration at the Teessiders’ failure to live up to their billing as pre-season promotion favourites.

Garry Monk made one change to the Boro side that drew at Barnsley last weekend, with Jonny Howson replacing Adam Clayton at the heart of midfield. Traore was back in the squad after being dropped for missing the bus seven days earlier, but the winger was restricted to a place on the bench. He would eventually come on with costly effect.

Boro have struggled in the early stages of a number of their matches this season, and they were on the back foot once again as Cardiff dominated the opening quarter-of-an-hour.

Passes repeatedly went astray, with Daniel Ayala especially culpable, and the centre-half’s poor back-pass almost enabled Cardiff the break the deadlock in only the fifth minute.

Ayala’s pass put Darren Randolph under pressure, and the goalkeeper’s kick was charged down by Junior Hoilett. The ball broke invitingly for Darren Ward at the heart of the penalty area, but the striker could only direct a weak effort straight at Randolph’s legs.

That was a let off for the hosts, and Ward went close again moments later, shooting narrowly over the crossbar after cutting in from the left-hand side.

Cardiff threatened again midway through the first half with Ward narrowly failing to reach Joe Bennett’s dangerous low cross as he slid into the six-yard box, but Boro improved as the interval approached and gradually began to create chances of their own.

Britt Assombalonga fired over from the corner of the penalty area, before Fabio da Silva also came close with a long-range effort.

Martin Braithwaite was Boro’s main attacking threat, cutting in from the left-hand side, but a number of the home side’s attacks broke down as a result of Ashley Fletcher’s failure to hold on to the ball amid some robust Cardiff defending. Britt Assombalonga was also guilty of giving the ball away cheaply on a number of occasions.

Boro needed to increase the tempo of their play, and they were noticeably more energetic at the start of the second period. Whatever Monk said at the interval, his words clearly had an effect.

The Teessiders twice came within inches of opening the scoring at the start of the second half, with Stewart Downing responsible for both efforts.

The former England international saw a goalbound drive deflect narrowly over the crossbar after flicking off the head of Cardiff defender Sol Bamba, before his curled free-kick from the edge of the area also picked up a deflection as it drifted narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Bamba was involved at the other end shortly after the hour mark, and the Cardiff centre-half was adamant he had scored after a penalty-box scramble. His prodded effort from Sean Morrison’s square ball was hacked away by Assombalonga, who was standing on the goalline. Cardiff’s players were adamant the ball had crossed the line, but referee Andrew Madley waved play on.

Boro made their first change shortly after, with Patrick Bamford replacing the ineffectual Fletcher, and the game became stretched in the closing stages as both sides pushed for a winner.

Braithwaite volleyed Cyrus Christie’s cross goalwards, only for Neil Etheridge to make a decent save, while at the other end, Ward whistled a dangerous low drive just past the post.

Traore came on with 12 minutes left, replacing Downing, and it was his error that enabled Cardiff to break the deadlock with six minutes left.

Displaying a complete lack of composure, Traore senselessly flew into a challenge as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing turned in the box. He got nowhere near the ball, and referee Andrew Madley rightly pointed to the spot. Ralls stepped up, and drilled a firm penalty past Randolph’s left hand.

Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Randolph; Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Fabio; Downing (Traore 78), Leadbitter, Howson, Braithwaite; Fletcher (Bamford 67), Assombalonga.

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Friend, Fry, Clayton, Johnson.

Cardiff (3-4-3): Etheridge; Morrison, Bamba, Manga; Peltier, Ralls, Bryson, Bennett; Mendez-Laing (Paterson 89), Ward (Bogle 89), Hoilett.

Subs (not used): Murphy (gk), Halford, Feeney, Damour, Tomlin.