TONY PULIS was delighted to see Middlesbrough emerge from St Andrew’s with three points after Birmingham City threatened to make his team pay after a low scoring first half.

In the end he was indebted to Britt Assombalonga emerging from the bench to hit a winner after a tight encounter to defeat Garry Monk’s Birmingham City.

Monk had too look on in frustration as the man he took to Teesside in the summer of 2017 clipped a lovely finish over goalkeeper Lee Camp with eight minutes remaining.

That put Middlesbrough into the lead for a second time and they were able to hold on to it to close the gap on second place to four points.

The impressive Lewis Wing had put Middlesbrough ahead eight minutes before the break when he converted George Saville’s pass across the six-yard box.

But Birmingham’s Che Adams pulled things level with a deserved equaliser 11 minutes from time when he turned in the area and picked out the far corner.

Assombalonga, who was a second half replacement for Jordan Hugill, then did the damage moments later to ensure Middlesbrough left with three points.

And Pulis said: “To come in just 1-0 up was disappointment because we should have had three goals. Second half we had to defend really well, Adams got a good goal and they pushed us deeper and it was a great goal from Britt.

“I was disappointed first half because we played really well. They had one chance. We had two definite penalties. One from a corner, George Friend was pushed in the back and so blatant … the second everyone sees the keeper bring him down. Probably have to send the keeper off.

“They play very direct and you have to admire the way they do it. They got the goal and you think we could be throwing it away. Then there was a great finish from Britt. They have only lost one all season here and you can see why.

“It was a great victory for us and I am really pleased. We hope this will take us on. Millwall are direct and determined and we will have to be right on it again next week.”

BIRMINGHAM CITY (4-4-2): Camp; Colin, Morrison, Dean, Pedersen; Jota, G Gardner (C Gardner 46), Kieftenbeld (Vassell 80), Maghoma; Adams, Jutkiewicz. Subs (not used): Trueman, Harding, Dacres-Cogley, Mahoney, Solomon-Otabor.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-5-1): Randolph; Fry, Ayala, Batth, Friend; Clayton, Wing (McNair 87), Besic (Downing 69); Saville, Howson, Hugill (Assombalonga 69). Subs (not used): Lonergan (gk), Tavernier, van la Parra, Fletcher.