Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 3

BORO hover just above the bottom three tonight after Villa won for the fifth time in six visits to the Riverside, from where GORDON COX files this report.

Emanuel Pogatetz started a game for the first time this season, Jonathan Woodgate returned from injury and Adam Johnson was back from a highly successful loan spell as Gareth Southgate made changes as he searched for a first win in nine games.

Villa, looking for a third successive win for the first time in 112 games spread over three years, were unchanged.

Scott Carson was given a less than generous welcome by Boro fans and his cause wasn't helped when his first action of the afternoon was to slice a backpass.

Boro had started with a 4-4-2 formation which saw Stewart Downing playing in an unfamiliar role up front with Jeremie Aliadiere.

It nearly paid off with seven minutes played as Johnson played Downing in down the left. He cut into the penalty area and shot for goal. Carson got down late and a consequence the ball took a deflection off the underside of his body, went across goal and out for a corner.

The flag kick brought a second excellent opportunity as it fell to Lee Cattermole, who volleyed over from the edge of the six-yard box.

Villa's first chance came after 14 minutes as their leading scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor twisted away from David Wheater and low, but wide, across the face of goal.

A lively affair continued to produce some good football and Boro broke swiftly down the left. A crossfield ball from George Boateng switched flanks, only for the ball to work its way back across to the left, where Johnson skipped past Olof Mellebrg and sent in a low cross which was turned round for a corner.

The next time he pressed he won another corner which Villa cleared but only to Gary O'Neil, who volleyed half a yard over from the D on the edge of the penalty area.

Mark Schwarzer was grateful for the intervention of Woodgate after he sliced a clearance but by and large it was Boro who were really having a go.

Ten minutes from half-time Villa were awarded a corner after a mistake from referee Keith Stroud, a rookie at this level. He thought Wheater had turned a right-wing cross over the bar, when in fact it was John Carew. A neat turn from Aliadiere brought another mistake from Mr Stroud. The Frenchman should have been left with a clear run to the Villa penalty area but the official ruled he had fouled.

Ninety seconds into injury time Villa broke the deadlock with their first shot on target after a low cross from the left. John Carew turned well on the edge of the six-yard box and beat Schwarzer with a low shot to the goalkeeper's right - the 11th time in 14 games Boro had conceded the first goal of the game.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 1

Villa started the second half brightly and Martin Laursen saw a shot from the edge of the area deflected just out of harm's way. It took just over two-and-a-half minutes for the visitors to increase their lead.

Boro looked to have dealt with danger when Cattermole horribly sliced a clearance which fell straight to Olof Mellberg, who comfortably volleyed home from seven yards.

It threatened to get even worse a couple of minutes later as Agbonlahor sped away down the right, but instead of picking out better placed colleagues inside the Boro box he went for goal and won nothing more than a corner.

He didn't have to wait long to get on the scoresheet as Boro became the third North East side to concede three goals this afternoon.

With 59 minutes played Carson launched a long goal kick, Gabriel Agbonlahor took possession and turned well on the edge of the Boro box, advanced to the edge of the six-yard box and, holding off Woodgate's challenge, unleashed a shot which carried too much power for Schwarzer.

Boro stuck to their game and the fans stuck with them, but confidence was ebbing.

O'Neill did his best to reduce the arrears, but a shot from the edge of the Villa box went just wide.

With just over a quarter-of-an-hour remaining both managers made changes as Martin O'Neill replaced Carew with Shaun Maloney and Southgate swapped Aliadiere for Hutchinson.

Another chance was created as Boro worked their way from left to right and Downing's low drive brought a smart save at his near post from Carson. From the corner the ball was cleared to Boateng, whose shot from 30 yards was deflected for another corner, Boro's 10th, twice as many as Villa.

In the closing minutes Villa almost grabbed a fourth as Agbonlahor proved a threat once more, but after sprinting clear his low shot beat Schwarzer and came back off the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

Ninety seconds into injury-time O'Neil sent over a good cross, but Wheater's header from seven yards went just wide.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; Young, Woodgate, Wheater, Pogatetz, O'Neil, Cattermole (Rochemback 53), Boateng (Capt), Downing, Aliadiere (Hutchinson 74), Johnson. Unused subs: Turnbull (gk); Taylor, Tuncay.

Aston Villa: Carson; Mellberg, Knight, Laursen (Davies 84), Bouma, Petrov (Gardner 79), Reo-Coker, Barry (Capt), Young, Carew (Maloney 74), Agbonlahor. Unused subs: Taylor (gk); Moore.

Referee Keith Stroud, Hampshire.

Bookings

Middlesbrough: Cattermole, 45, foul; Downing, 85, foul.

Aston Villa: Reo Coker, 17, foul.

Attendance: 23,900

Conditions: Cool and still

Website Boro Man of the Match: Gary O'Neil