It was a hugely frustrating afternoon for Neil Warnock's side.

After putting in a decent first half display Middlesbrough fell to defeat against Blackburn Rovers with Joe Rothwell's goal giving the visitors a 1-0 victory.

It was a game decided by several big moments, but how did the Teessiders perform?

Here's how we rated the Middlesbrough team.

Marcus Bettinelli —7
Very little that he could have done about Blackburn's goal. Made a couple of excellent saves throughout to keep Middlesbrough in the game.

Djed Spence -5
Offered little going forward and was caught ball-watching for Joe Rothwell's crucial goal. Completely caught out and justified Neil Warnock's preference of Anfernee Dijksteel.

Dael Fry —7
His game was brought to a premature end by a high boot from Jarrad Branthwaite. That said we've giving him a decent rating for being a right trooper in the short amount of time he was on the pitch.

Paddy McNair —6
Not his finest game as he was caught out defensively when his usual partner, Dael Fry, went off. Did okay but will be disappointed with his performance.

Marc Bola —7
Did incredibly well for around an hour but was then caught out by some excellent work by Harvey Elliott. A good all-round display but will be disappointed to have been caught out at a key time.

Sam Morsy —5
Enjoyed a decent game until a tactical booking left him vulnerable. Taken off as a precaution.

George Saville —5
Put in a decent display in the first half but was a little bit sloppy in possession.

Jonny Howson —6
A typically busy display but was uncharacteristically slow to react at the crucial moment as Blackburn took the lead. Not his best game.

Marcus Tavernier —7
Middlesbrough's best player on the day. Dangerous going forward and certainly the most likely to get a goal. Really finding his feet - let's just hope his injury isn't anything too serious.

Duncan Watmore —6
Worked hard but showed little in the way of quality needed to carve out any genuine opportunities.

Britt Assombalonga —6
A quiet match as he cut a largely isolated figure for most of the game. His only chance of note came from a free-kick.

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Substitutes

Nathan Wood —6
Struggled a little bit after coming on the pitch as Middlesbrough looked vulnerable at the back. Missed a big opportunity as he hit the post.

Marvin Johnson —5
Introduced after the Blackburn goal and linked up well with Marc Bola but struggled to create much in the way of opportunities.

Ashley Fletcher —5
Great to see the forward return to first team action after injury. Struggled to make much of an impact other than sending a header wide.

Patrick Roberts—6
Replaced Marcus Tavernier and looked lively as he tried to make an impression. Tried hard but often tried the killer ball when a simpler pass would perhaps have been more effective.

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Photo: Action Images

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