IF Middlesbrough wanted to find someone to blame for their latest away day debacle, they would not need to look very far: Enter referee Rob Styles.

The card-happy Waterlooville official - he has handed out 53 bookings in 12 games, more than any other top-flight referee - robbed Boro of a centre midfielder, Mark Wilson, at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Wilson, who was rightly shown the yellow card for a rash foul on Gareth Barry on 13 minutes, was wrongly booked for a second time 14 minutes later.

The former Manchester United star, making only his second Premiership start of the season, was caught in possession and adjudged to have hauled down Villa's Jlloyd Samuel, who appeared to make a meal of the challenge.

Mr Styles had no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and, after showing the yellow, he dished out the red card for the fifth time this season.

Boro skipper Gareth Southgate, on his return to Villa Park, sympathised with his younger teammate and he thought a free-kick should have been awarded to the away side first of all.

"I thought it was a foul on Mark initially in the first instance," said Southgate, who was making his second appearance at his old ground since making the £6m switch in the summer of 2001. "I thought Jlloyd had pushed him first.

"After that Wilson was trying to recover from that and that led to the tackle, which looked a harsh booking.

"It was a shame for him because he has just got back into the side and he had a great game against Man. United.

"But 20 minutes in against Villa and he's been sent off which is annoying for him."

But, while Boro point to the fact that being down to ten men did not help, the damage had already been done before Wilson had been given his marching orders. The home side started the better, with Juan Pablo Angel going close early on with a right foot drive.

And on 11 minutes Villa took the lead. Angel was again involved when he crossed dangerously from the right towards Dion Dublin, who had got in between former Villan Ugo Ehiogu and Wilson.

At first it looked as if Dublin had grabbed his 200th career goal, but replays suggested it was an own goal for unfortunate Wilson, who directed the ball up and over goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Boro had not even picked up a point, never mind a goal, on their travels since the 3-1 win at Tottenham on September 28 and that run did not look like coming to an end on Saturday.

A struggling Villa side, who were just four points above a relegation place before the day, where by far the better side and both Dublin and Samuel went close to extending their lead either side of the Wilson sending off. Before half-time the impressive Gareth Barry hit the crossbar with a thunderous 25-yard drive, after Ehiogu had stood off him too long, and Boro were fortunate to go in just one down.

It was more of the same after the restart. However, McClaren introduced Noel Whelan and Tony Vidmar on 56 minutes, which enabled out-of-sorts left-back Franck Queudrue to push forward more.

The ten-man Teessiders picked up a gear or two and could have escaped with a rare away point.

Geremi had a curling free-kick saved by goalkeeper Stefan Postma. Then the Cameroon man's header was blocked on the line by Alan Wright; the rebound fell to Ehiogu whose effort from inside six yards flew over the bar.

But Boro could not stop themselves from falling to another away defeat - something McClaren had hoped to avoid especially after their Boxing Day heroics against Manchester United.

And Boro captain Southgate believes they can come good, he said: "It's concerning because we have been outstanding at home and we would have been riding high in the table if we didn't keep dropping points away.

"Forty-eight hours after the United game and playing with ten men for more than an hour is too much.

"A lot of players haven't experienced coming to these grounds before. We need to learn how to win games away from home but it will come."

Boro will have to snap out of the run soon. Next stop Blackburn on New Year's Day.

Result:: Aston Villa 1 Middlesbrough 0.