Ipswich Town extended their unbeaten run to nine games as goals from Daryl Murphy and Jay Tabb gave Mick McCarthy's side a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.
After a lively opening period, Ipswich took the lead on 25 minutes when Murphy fired home the rebound, after David McGoldrick's effort from Tabb's cross had been saved by Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.
Tabb then struck on the stroke of half time when his eye-catching diving header from Teddy Bishop's cross found the corner of Bartosz Bialkowski's goal.
Aitor Karanka's side came roaring out of the blocks at the start of the second half, however, and nearly pulled a goal back when Jelle Vossen's flick across the face of goal was cleared just before it fell to the waiting Grant Leadbitter.
Adam Reach then came even closer when his looping header beat Bialkowski, only to be cleared off the line by Christophe Berra.
Ipswich went agonisingly close to finding a third which would have sealed the points when Murphy's header was cleared off the line, before Tommy Smith hammered the ball back against the post.
Daniel Ayala could have cut the deficit, but somehow fired over following a Boro corner as McCarthy's side held on for three points that see them leapfrog their opponents and move into second place in the Championship.
Joe Sharratt
