Middlesbrough earned their first Sky Bet Championship win at the Riverside Stadium since December by beating 10-man Norwich 3-1.
The Canaries started the game on top and took the lead through Ashley Barnes, but the evening quickly took a turn when Borja Sainz was sent off in the 30th minute.
Boro levelled through Marcus Forss and Emmanuel Latte Lath put them ahead just before half-time.
Lukas Engel added a third in the second half to wrap up victory as Norwich missed the chance to move into the play-off places.
Norwich dominated the opening stages and tested the Boro defence early on when Sainz unleashed a curling effort just around the post.
They nearly had the opener in the 13th minute when a great ball released Dimitris Giannoulis down the left and the full-back found Barnes, who had a first-time strike palmed behind by goalkeeper Seny Dieng.
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Ashley Barnes first fell over before slotting home as Norwich City took the lead against Middlesbrough.
The early pressure paid off as the visitors took the lead in the 17th minute when Gabriel Sara picked out Barnes on the break inbetween the Boro defence and although the striker stumbled to the floor on his first go, he was able to stick a leg out on the ground to roll the ball past Dieng.
Norwich were reduced to 10 men when Sainz was tackled by Jonny Howson and the winger was shown red after flicking a boot out at the Boro captain.
Boro soon took advantage of the extra player on their first real attack of the game when Forss levelled in the 37th minute. Engel fired the ball into the box for Latte Lath, but the subsequent clearance reached the Finnish forward, who stabbed home from close-range.
The hosts took the lead just six minutes later when Matt Clarke’s cross fell to an unmarked Latte Lath, who easily tucked the ball into the bottom left corner.
Boro continued to threaten early in the second half with some dangerous crosses from both flanks. Angus Gunn made a quick stop to deny Riley McGree’s effort from a tight angle before Howson curled the ball over the crossbar from a free-kick.
Michael Carrick’s side extended their lead out of nowhere in the 62nd minute as Luke Ayling’s pin-point cross from the right found Engel at the far post, who smashed the ball first time underneath the goalkeeper.
McGree then forced Gunn to make a great punch from his powerful strike and substitute Anfernee Dijksteel had a chance saved from close range.
Boro retained possession well in the final stages and nearly had a fourth, but Engel was denied by a quick clearance.
The managers
Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick:
“It was a good result for us. We needed a win, we needed a result. I think we needed something to go our way, which we haven’t really had much lately.
“The red card is a moment. I thought we were just starting to find our feet a little bit, we found it tough at the start of the game, but we dealt with the sending off really well actually.
“It’s not easy to deal with, playing against 10 men, but I thought the boys approached that really well and the spell before half-time put the game in our direction.
“I haven’t seen (the red card) back, but it didn’t really matter and the performance didn’t have to be perfect tonight.
“We needed to get that feeling back for everyone and the boys especially and I’m delighted we managed to do that.”
Norwich’s David Wagner:
“I’ve seen it back, but to be fair I don’t really like to give any comments, I like to leave it with the guys who make the decisions.
“It looks like we maybe appeal it, then this speaks for itself.
“I know that sometimes the angle and vision on the pitch from a referee could be different, then you see it in your way and sometimes the decision is not the right one, if it makes sense.
“But at the end of the day, he gave the red card because he has seen something.”
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