THREE class touches proved decisive as Middlesbrough made it three wins in a brilliant week and signed off for Christmas just three points off the top six.

They could – should – have had three goals against West Brom – and some. But one was enough to give Boro the win they so richly deserved. Michael Carrick’s side served up one of their best performances of the season against an Albion side that came into this game fifth in the Championship table.

On the back of their victory at Swansea and moving into the last four of the Carabao Cup for the first time in two decades in midweek, Boro are ending the year as they started it – looking up, all the more impressive when you consider the difficulties at the start of the campaign and the injury list Carrick has had to contend with in recent weeks.

He was forced to name another somewhat makeshift team against Albion but Boro adapted superbly. In the absence of a striker, Morgan Rogers stepped up and scored the winner and in the absence of No.1 keeper Seny Dieng, Tom Glover kept a clean sheet.

The winning goal came five minutes before the break and was superbly created and finished with three quality touches. The first came from the excellent Dan Barlaser, who split the defence with a pass, the second from Lukas Engel who crossed and the third from Rogers to coolly steer home, just as he did at Port Vale in midweek.

More goals should have followed in the second half but Boro were solid at the back and West Brom rarely threatened what would have been a cruel sucker punch.

To round off an ideal afternoon for Carrick, Riley McGree and Josh Coburn both returned from injury with late appearances from the bench.

Two o’clock had brought both boosts and blows for Boro. The good news was the return of Josh Coburn and Riley McGree, both on the bench, Rav van den Berg fit back in the XI and Isaiah Jones and  Rogers passing fitness tests after pulling up at Port Vale. Rogers was handed a deserved start after his cameo at Swansea and fine midweek showing - and took his chance.

It wasn’t all good news, though. Emmanuel Latte Lath was missing from the squad all together with the hamstring issue that forced him off at Port Vale and Seny Dieng was also absent, with Tom Glover making his league debut. With Dieng set to head off to the African Cup of Nations and Glover left out of the Australia squad, will Carrick be tempted to let the deputy keep the gloves before next month’s run in the side?

It was the visiting keeper Alex Palmer who was first to be tested on Saturday. Sammy Silvera was up-front in Boro’s new-look forward line but it was Isaiah Jones who drifted in centrally and beat the offside trap to latch on to No.10 Rogers’ nicely weighted through-ball. Jones was tugged by Cedric Kipre but opted to stay on his feet and took aim early, denied by the feet of Palmer.

Fortune was on the side of Kipre. When Jones was again played in behind the visiting defence, he went down under the challenge of the last man Kipre. Referee James Linington awarded a free-kick but only a yellow card followed rather than the red the Boro fans and players screamed for.

The home frustration very nearly deepened within five minutes when Albion twice came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. A Kyle Bartley header first clipped the far post before the Baggies kept the attack alive and Darnell Furlong forced a superb point-blank save from Glover.

That was as close Albion came in the first half and although much of the opening period was competitive and even, Boro undoubtedly looked the more threatening of the two sides – and forced their fine breakthrough five minutes before the break.

Boro momentarily thought a second had arrived immediately after the break when Rav van den Berg turned the ball in from close range but the defender was clearly offside.

At some stage, Albion had to start asking more questions as they searched for a way back into the game. They saw more of the ball in the opening stages of the second half but organised Boro prevented the visitors from creating any clear cut opportunities – and looked a threat on the counter.

Jones was denied a stunning assist and Rogers a second goal when Palmer saved brilliantly from close range, tipping the ball on to the post. Rogers was bossing it. He squared for Greenwood, who somehow missed an open goal, firing over from six yards, and then set Jones away down the right, with Palmer again denying the home side.

McGree and Coburn were introduced and Matt Clarke too late on but there were no late scares for Boro, who managed the final stages extremely well.