TONY PULIS has acknowledged how well new-look front-line Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher performed to help Middlesbrough climb back up to fifth in the Championship, even though he insisted he could mix things up again next weekend.

Assombalonga was back in a Championship starting line-up for the first time since Boxing Day and vindicated the manager’s decision by scoring the winning header against Blackburn Rovers.

Team-mate Fletcher, starting for only the second time in the league under Pulis’ management, had a key role to play in that decisive goal and the pair were otherwise full of attacking intent and energy, without adding to the lead.

There has been a clamour for Assombalonga to lead the line in recent weeks because of his goals from the bench and he took his tally for the season to 12 goals.

However, Pulis still values on loan Teessider Jordan Hugill highly and will not be making any promises ahead of Saturday’s visit of Steve McClaren’s Queens Park Rangers to the Riverside.

Pulis said: “Fletch has done smashing today. Jordan has carried the team at times with his effort and commitment. But I am pleased.

“I am pleased Britt has got the goal, I’m pleased Fletch has done that. It was the right system to play against Blackburn, whether it is the right system to play against QPR, or in other games, but that system suited us today.

“Fletch played off a three, a tight midfield three. He was allowed to go where he wanted to go. We thought he could stretch Blackburn in that role.”

Fletcher had a fantastic chance to add to the scoreline before he was withdrawn after he was picked out by Lewis Wing’s clever pass. With just the goalkeeper to beat, the £6.5m striker curled into the arms of goalkeeper David Raya.

“It would have been nice for him to score, but it was not just him today, Wingy has had three or four opportunities too. There are loads we can look at and tighten up when we get back in,” said Pulis.

“We had 27 shots on goal and only scored one, that’s really been our Achilles heel since I came here to this football club.

“We need to be more ruthless in front of goal, we played really well at times, created chances.”

But Pulis knows he shouldn’t be too critical after a victory at Ewood Park that was secured with a makeshift defence that suffered further woe during the 90 minutes.

George Friend had to hobble off after the restart and his hamstring will be scanned in the next 24 hours to determine how serious it is. He had already been asked to play on the left of three centre-backs, along with Ryan Shotton and Dael Fry because Daniel Ayala and Aden Flint were missing.

Pulis said: “When you think of the circumstances of us losing Flint, Ayala, George coming off, we had to work together as a group and they did that.

“Blackburn worked very hard, they had two very good chances, Darren Randolph made a very good save and Danny Graham scores if he connects from that other chance they had.

“We have had a couple of days just to work and talk about it. You can’t be bemoaning, injuries or suspensions. There have been a couple of games where the ball hasn’t gone for us.

“We played West Brom and we deserved to win, Leeds we deserved to win and ended up with a point, Sheffield United … if Flint stays on and Ayala then we get something there.

“They have shown great character here. We wanted to be positive. Sav (George Saville) has been getting better and better, Howson too, some of the stuff Sav has done was excellent.”

Paddy McNair was the man to replace Friend and he was asked to fill in on the right of the defence.

Pulis said: “Paddy doesn’t like playing wing-back. He has come on and done smashing for me (as a centre-back). He didn’t look uncomfortable which was nice."

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray, the former Middlesbrough boss and captain, was stunned by the manner of his team’s first half display which led to him making three changes at the break. He didn’t have too many complaints about the outcome.

He said: “It reminded me a bit of the Riverside game. They went down to ten men and were better against us second half.

"I couldn’t recognise my team first half. I have been here two years next week and I didn’t know where that came from. It was unrecognisable to the team I see week in and week out.

“We played against a decent team. It’s not easy to create chances against the best defence in the league, and yet we created a few. It wasn’t to be today.

“With respect to Middlesbrough, we have played against better football teams than Boro, today we just lacked desire and energy. That’s why I say I don’t recognise them first half.

“I have to see it from my own team’s perspective. Even the defeats we have had here against pretty god teams, Sheffield United, Bristol City, good footballing sides, yet we were in both games.”

Mowbray, whose side lost Derrick Williams to a red card for bringing down Ashley Fletcher before the break, added: “If it was in the box it would have been a yellow card, if it was outside he was the last man.

“Then there was Danny Graham, should he have gone down with the last man scrambling? I think Danny sniffed a goal and wanted to put it in.”