IF the reality of Middlesbrough’s season so far wasn’t troubling enough, then today’s result threatens to derail the prospects and the hopes of their season entirely.

Boro had a fortnight away from the action to dissect their difficult start and work away from the lights but with the last week garnering speculation surrounding Chris Wilder and threatening to disrupt preparations further, Boro’s season is spiralling away from them and it’s hard to see where a resolution can be found at this point. Where do they go from here? 

Boro were donning their new look third kit dressed all in white and Dael Fry provided the kitman an early nightmare when a clash of heads left him bleeding and needing treatment. But they real downside was being temporarily down to ten men and the Sky Blues almost made them pay. Fankaty Dabo’s low cross from the right was controlled well by Viktor Gyokeres with his back to goal. He teed up Casey Palmer who stroked his effort wide of the post as Boro breathed a sigh of relief. Fry was welcomed back onto the pitch moments after.

In a game that they needed to win, Boro did not come flying out the traps and were punished for it by a Sky Blues side who were well up for the fight. From a position of little danger near the corner flag, Dabo won possession back from a throw-in and delivered a ball in behind the defence which Boro were far from alert to. Gyokeres seized upon the ball, held off Anfernee Dijksteel and did the rest sliding the ball underneath keeper Zack Steffen. They’ve had worse starts to a game this season but this was far from ideal.

Just before the half hour mark, Boro registered their first effort on target as Rodrigo Muniz held off his man and spun away on the edge of the box. His fierce effort as well handled by the gloves of Ben Wilson.

While Boro finally started to feel their way into the game with intermittent spells of pressure, Mark Robins attack, in particular Gyokeres, was giving the Boro defence plenty of problems. Steffen was forced to deny the Swede with two further saves before the break while a last ditch block from Marc Bola prevented Matty Godden from scoring a second from a smart move.

Muniz compounded the first half disappointment when Alex Mowatt’s shot on the edge of the box deflected right into his path but his first time volley was straight at keeper Wilson. He knew he had missed a guilt edged chance. For Boro, it was a pedestrian and laboured performance and the second half was as big as it gets for them as they trudged off at the break to a smattering of boos from the away end.

As Boro threw a flurry of substitutes on in Chuba Akpom, Ryan Giles and Isaiah Jones for the second half, their afternoon was in danger of going from bad to worse when Dijksteel brought down Gyokeres on the edge of their own box. Palmer’s free-kick was blocked by the face of Matt Crooks.

The subs showed their immediate threat when Jones started a well worked move from the right and the ball made it’s way to Giles on the left. His low delivery evaded the touch of Crooks at the back post who was sliding in to make contact. Akpom then did well to bring down a ball inside the box but his shot on the turn was straight at Wilson.

Gyokeres continued to wreak havoc for the Boro defence. He and Dijksteel got embroiled in a tangle after some good footwork from the Swede and both took a tumble to the floor but the referee Matthew Donohue ignored the Sky Blues appeal. Godden was then next in line to test the hands of Steffen with a shot from the edge of the box but the American was equal to the threat and palmed away.

Moments later, Steffen was almost caught out when he rushed to clear but the ball bounced it’s way to Palmer. His attempted lob had the beating of the American but the ball bounced just wide of the post.

With the clock running down, Boro threw one last hail mary at Coventry to salvage a point. Jones was brought down on the right and Jonny Howson swung a free-kick into the box which Steffen came forward though. But Robins’ side managed the danger and swung the ball to the halfway line on the stroke of full-time.