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Ten-man Middlesbrough fought back from a goal down to draw with Blackburn Rovers and avoid slipping to back-to-back defeats for the first time since December 2017.

The point leaves Boro sixth but they lose ground on the top four of Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield United and Derby who all won, while Blackburn are only six points behind the top six in 11th.

Rovers - managed by Teessiders legend Tony Mowbray - were the better side in the first-half, helped by the dismissal of Boro's Bosnian midfielder Mo Besic, and led when Charlie Mulgrew curled a superb free-kick past Darren Randolph.

Mowbray's opposite number Tony Pulis responded by making two half-time substitutions, introducing George Saville to shore up midfield and striker Britt Assombalonga to add some punch up front, and it paid off.

Jordan Hugill, denied by Mulgrew's well-timed challenge just minutes before, laid off to Assombalonga and the DR Congo international bent in a sparkling effort to level.

Buoyed by the goal, Boro poured forward but were unable to find a way past David Raya, and the points were shared.

Boro's strength this season so far has been their home form and their defensive record, but the pressure created by Besic's sending-off, for hauling back Rovers dangerman Bradley Dack, saw them struggle to impose themselves.

Dack was unlucky not to add to the scoring when his shot smacked a post, but Boro eventually wrestled control of the game as the Riverside crowd found its voice and it took some spirited defending from the visitors - in the mould of their manager - to keep the home side at bay.

Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis:

"The referee doesn't send him off - it's the fourth official and the linesman on our side. I'll say it now - Besic does pull his shirt.

"But I believe our goalkeeper was getting to the ball first before their lad. I think it's a yellow card, not a sending off.

"How they make that decision from that distance and a decision that ultimately changed the game is beyond me."

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray:

"It's a very frustrated dressing room. We shouldn't have dropped points, playing against 10 men and having scored from a free-kick.

"Ultimately we needed the second goal, and it didn't come. I think if there's one team in this league you don't want to play against with 10 men, it's probably Middlesbrough with how good they are behind the ball.

"They're so defensively stable and solid, and they did what they had to do. I thought we created some chances, Bradley Dack hit the post and we had a few shots."