YOU don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out that Middlesbrough's recent fortunes have tumbled because of a crippling injury list.

In Steve McClaren's pre-match press conference on Friday he added that the absence of Mark Viduka and George Boateng has hit the Teesiders hardest and it is perhaps not coincidental their unavailability happens to parallel with the club's miserable slide.

Without the pair Boro had won only four games in 18 and, two of those - against Grazer AK and Notts County -were hardly against top class opposition.

Both returned to Boro's line-up on Saturday and McClaren could be justified in saying it's not coincidental they tasted victory in a Premiership match for the first time since a scrappy 1-0 victory against Blackburn at the Riverside nine weeks ago.

Unfortunately for Viduka his impact wasn't as great as his returning colleague's.

The big Aussie limped from the Selhurst Park pitch after only 11 minutes with a recurrence of his hamstring problem.

The Middlesbrough boss had said it was perhaps a gamble starting his £4.5m striker but admitted he wanted all his best available players on the pitch.

Boateng, on the other hand, showed exactly what the side has been missing in his absence, and was Boro's catalyst to their first away victory since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's deflected shot screwed past West Brom goalkeeper Russel Hoult at the Hawthorns in November.

The 29-year-old midfielder was at the forefront of everything: providing a defensive shield in front of the back four, breaking up play and providing a solid foundation for Boro's attacks.

The Boro boss was understandably ebullient after the well-deserved victory and hailed the performance of his £5m signing from Aston Villa.

"It was a massive win for us," said McClaren. "I tried to play it down on Friday as just another game, but after our recent run and our away record this was a must-win game, and our players delivered.

"It was scrappy but credit to Crystal Palace they threw everything at us. But we got a goal and could have got more on the break if we had had better quality.

"I thought Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott were magnificent, and George Boateng in front of them was immense.

"It just shows how much we missed him. But it was also a team performance and we showed great character to hold on to the goal and it puts us back in the pack for a European place.

"We took a gamble putting Boateng back in. He's only had a week's training. We would have liked to give him more training and a reserve game but we had to throw him in and I think we saw why. He was very strong, blocking their attacks and setting off ours."

Talking of rocket scientists, Iain Dowie may have the University degree but the Eagles' boss looks short of finding a mathematical solution to keeping his side in the Premiership on this showing.

Even his chief physicist, Andy Johnson, could not find his angles at the weekend.

He sliced a gilt-edged chance wide after only four minutes. A delightful touch by Dougie Freedman had found the Eagles' prolific marksman behind the Boro defence, only to snatch at the opportunity from close range with only goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to beat.

Johnson was causing the visitors' defence all sorts of problems early on and, in the 20th minute even had the audacity to play a one-two off Schwarzer's post from 25 yards.

If the Boro keeper didn't see the first effort, which fizzed past him, he managed to do better with striker's follow up effort from three yards closer in and successfully smothered the ball low at his feet.

Two minutes earlier Hasselbaink spurned a great opportunity to put the Teessiders in front.

The striker took advantage of centre back Mark Hudson's inability to deal with Schwarzer's route-one clearance to round goalkeeper Gabour Kiraly.

Unfortunately the Dutchman's effort rolled agonisingly across the goalline and out for a goal kick.

The only goal, ten minutes before the break, was direct from the Hurworth training ground.

A strangely lethargic Stewart Downing whipped a delightful curling corner from the left.

It was met majestically by the unmarked Franck Queudrue, and he bulleted the ball past Kiraly from eight yards.

After the goal it was cruise control from the visitors and they rarely looked like surrendering their lead.

The home side enjoyed the greater possession in the second period but couldn't muster enough huffing and puffing to blow the Boro back door down - marshalled superbly by Southgate, Riggott, Queudrue and Stuart Parnaby.

McClaren put his side's refreshing performance down to the recent two-week Easter break.

He said: "The break came at the right time for us.

"Southgate has benefited for a week in Portugal, as have Boateng, Viduka, and Parlour. We were in better condition than we've previously been for quite a few weeks.

"The other results went for us and we're back in the pack but there's still a long way to go but we're delighted with the result and it gives us a platform to build on."

The win pushed Boro up two places to seventh; one point behind Bolton and back on track for a return to Europe next season.

Albert Einstein once said that e=mc2 but in Boro's case the equation is a lot simpler than that and a mathematical genius is not required to work out that seven wins would equal E (Europe).

Crystal Palace 0 Midlesbrough 1.

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