COMPOSED, precise and perfect. Britt Assombalonga might have had to wait for his first goal of the season, but it was timed just right last night to give Middlesbrough the boost required to beat Coventry City.

Having not started the last two games because of an adductor injury, he was asked to lead the line again, particularly in light of Chuba Akpom’s withdrawal on the morning of the game through illness.

And after looking like it might be one of those nights for Assombalonga, watched closely throughout by the Sky Blues defendce, he delivered with nine minutes remaining to put Boro on course for three points – shortly after wasting a headed chance.

Djed Spence added the final blow to promoted Coventry deep in stoppage-time to wrap up a win that has lifted Middlesbrough to seventh and extended the unbeaten run to seven games too.

But it was Assombalonga’s touch and calm finish from Sam Morsy’s incisive through pass that broke the deadlock when the visitors had just started to threaten more themselves.

The Northern Echo:

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock, who handed the striker the captaincy in the summer, said: “That’s Britt when he is confident and the header is Britt when he’s not confident. I am looking away thinking ‘oh my goodness’. Strikers thrive on goals and I am pleased with that for him tonight.

“I was always playing Britt tonight. I was resting Akpom. We are short. I rang George Saville up this afternoon to see if he’d ever played up front! We just have to get through it. We will put someone else up there if we have to, Marcus Tavernier, Marcus Browne … we won’t dwell on it.”

He added: “We don’t know about Akpom. He just didn’t feel very well. With this virus around, we couldn’t take a risk. We will do a test for him and make sure it’s not the virus. Cross our fingers. That’s all we can do.”

The Northern Echo:

Middlesbrough have now kept three clean sheets from their last four, with Warnock getting his squad working just as he would like.

“I was pleased with a lot, Jonny Howson, and Saville was as good as anything tonight,” said Warnock. “Sami has played a couple of great balls in, one for the first goal. Tavernier tackling back in his own six-yard box at 0-0. They epitomise good teams, you work for your mates.

“We had most of the chances. You just have to be patient. These are games you have to win by hook or by crook. We missed a few more chances second half but we deserved it.”

The Northern Echo:

From the first attack that Middlesbrough earned a corner from, it was clear what Warnock wanted to see. The men in red pressed high in a bid to prevent goalkeeper Marko Marosi from rolling a pass to one of his defenders.

Instead it was a long, driven kick to lone striker Matt Godden and the Middlesbrough approach certainly had the desired effect because the home side spent much of the opening period in the visitors’ half. Assombalonga was the first to have an effort, striking a free-kick over the bar from 25 yards.

The Coventry approach was very much centred on breaking at speed, with Middlesbrough pushing men on in a bid to cause the Sky Blues problems.

There was a big one too with 18 minutes gone when Tavernier, operating on the left, whipped a low cross into the six-yard box and Marosi fumbled under pressure from Assombalonga.

The Northern Echo:

When the ball rolled back for Morsy he snatched at the chance and the ball was dragged wide, with the midfielder cutting a frustrated figure as he turned away knowing he should have hit the target from 12 yards.

Assombalonga was one of the three changes to the side that started the draw at Cardiff. He replaced the Akpom in attack, while Spence and Patrick Roberts were recalled at the expense of Marc Bola and Marvin Johnson.

After that Coventry gained confidence and started to pass the ball around with greater success. Had the effective Dael Fry not been alert to prevent Sam McCallum’s dangerous delivery from being turned in by Godden, Boro might even have been behind.

Within a couple of minutes Tavernier, who had swapped flanks with Spence, stung the arms of Marosi and that sparked a strong finish to the half from Middlesbrough.

The Northern Echo:

There was still a lack of shots to seriously test Marosi, but it was clear who was on top, and within four minutes of the second half Howson had two efforts off target.

The second was the best when Ben Sheaf gifted him possession deep in the Coventry half. Howson took a touch to beat his man but then fired over from inside the area.

After Gustavo Hamer had a shot saved comfortably by Marcus Bettinelli, Morsy went even closer when his strike from the edge of the area deflected off Hamer and bounced off the bar.

Tavernier cut inside and struck into Marosi at his near post and, apart from a clash of heads with Leo Ostigard, that was his last involvement as Hayden Coulson replaced him for the last 23 minutes.

Roberts was also removed, despite some encouraging attacking play, and Marcus Browne was tasked with breaking the visitors down instead in the final stages.

There was more space for Coventry to expose in the final third as Middlesbrough pushed on in the closing stages. And Assombalonga, who was tightly marked, headed a great chance over at the back post to further frustrate the hosts.

But just when Coventry had started to look more dangerous, Assombalonga finally struck the opener in the 81st minute. Morsy’s through pass in behind the defence did the damage, and the striker took a touch before beating Marosi.

Coventry had to push. Middlesbrough took advantage.

The Northern Echo:

Deep in stoppage-time Spence wrapped things up when he knocked the ball beyond Marosi from Browne’s ball before rolling into the empty net as Coventry pressed for an equaliser.

Middlesbrough had to be patient, but they delivered.

Middlesbrough: Bettinelli; Spence, Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Tavernier (Coulson 67); Morsy, Saville, Howson; Roberts (Browne 67), Assombalonga. Subs: Stojanovic (gk), Bola, Wood, Johnson, Wing.

Coventry: Marosi; Ostigard, McFadzean, Hyam; McCallum, Hamer, Sheaf, Giles (Dabo 70); Allen (O’Hare 78), Shipley (Walker 78); Godden. Subs (not used): Kelly, Biamou, Wilson, Thompson.