Full-time: Ipswich Town 2 Middlesbrough 0

MIDDLESBROUGH’S unbeaten run came to an end after Aitor Karanka’s side were beaten 2-0 at Ipswich Town.

Daryl Murphy and Jay Tabb scored the goals that moved Mick McCarthy’s men up to second in the Championship table and inflicted a first defeat since October 21 on Boro.

The result leaves the Teessiders fourth going into the Boxing Day match with Nottingham Forest at the Riverside Stadium.

Karanka made one change to the side that defeated Derby last weekend, which saw Kenneth Omeruo replace Ben Gibson alongside Daniel Ayala at the heart of Boro’s defence.

Ipwich provided an early warning as to why they should be regarded as genuine promotion contenders when Tommy Smith headed wide from Paul Anderson’s free-kick in the second minute.

Anderson went close ten minutes later when he received David McGoldrick’s knock on, flicked the ball over Omeruo and into a shooting position, but the midfielder blasted his shot over.

Boro looked out of sorts and weren’t their usual passing selves with the majority of their forward play restricted to long balls that isolated Patrick Bamford and Jelle Vossen.

It was a scrappy affair at Portman Road, but Mick McCarthy’s side went in front with 25 minutes gone.

Tabb advanced to the byline and cut back for McGoldrick, but the striker’s shot was superbly saved by Konstantopoulos. The danger wasn’t clear, though, and the ball fell to Murphy, who reacted quicker than any Boro player to blast home the follow-up.

The hosts had a penalty appeal rejected seven minutes before the break after McGoldrick tangled with Omeruo, who had already been booked, but referee James Linington chose to caution the Ipswich striker even though replays showed the defender was lucky.

Boro’s best chance of the half came when Adam Reach found Albert Adomah, but the winger’s glancing header flew wide of the post.

At 1-0 down, the Teessiders had the opportunity to regroup at the break and come out fighting in the second, but their mission was made even harder when Tabb doubled the hosts’ lead in first-half stoppage time.

The diminutive midfielder rose above everyone else to head home Teddy Bishop’s cross after some neat passing play involving Luke Chambers and McGoldrick.

Unsurprisingly, Karanka made one change at half time when Lee Tomlin replaced Adomah.

The visitors did improve and created chances early on in the second half. George Friend played a one-two in the box with Tomlin before his weak shot was saved, while Reach pulled the ball back to Vossen, who couldn’t get a solid touch in front of goal.

Boro could have gone down to ten men when Omeruo fouled Anderson, but Linington kept his cards in the pocket before Karanka made the wide decision to sub the centre-back.

Milos Veljkovic and Kike were introduced as Boro attempted to get back into the game, but the hosts maintained their superiority and dealt with everything that came their way.

They continued to create the better chances, too, and it should have been three when Murphy’s header was cleared off the line with Smith hitting the post from the rebound.

Middlesbrough (4-4-1-1): Konstantopoulos, Nsue, Ayala, Omeruo (Veljkovic, 62), Friend; Reach, Clayton, Leadbitter, Adomah (Tomlin, 46); Vossen (Kike, 62); Bamford.

Not used: Mejias, Gibson, Whitehead, Wildschut.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Bialkowski; Chambers, Berra, Smith, Parr; Skuse (Bru, 53), Tabb; Anderson (Sammon, 82), Bishop (Ambrose, 72), McGoldrick; Murphy.

Not used: Gerken, Hunt, Bajner, Clarke.