Last updated on .From the section Championship

Ashley Fletcher's double took his tally this season to nine goals in all competitions

Middlesbrough ended a run of six straight defeats as Ashley Fletcher scored twice to send struggling Bolton closer to relegation.

Fletcher was on hand to slot in and put Boro ahead in the 16th minute after Britt Assombalonga's deflected effort dropped to him six yards out.

And the 23-year-old striker, who began his career in Bolton's youth set-up, doubled his tally 12 minutes later as he calmly guided the ball past home goalkeeper Remi Matthews from inside the box.

Victory revives Tony Pulis' side's play-off hopes, putting the Teessiders two points off the top six, while Bolton remain eight points from safety with five games of the campaign remaining.

However, that gap could increase on Wednesday, when the rest of the Championship's bottom six are in action.

Bolton offered little as an attacking unit in the first half, drawing boos from sections of the home crowd, but Boro keeper Darren Randolph saved a snap-shot from Sammy Ameobi late on and then tipped a curling effort from the forward onto the bar in stoppage time.

Fletcher, who had been set up by Mo Besic for his second, could have had a hat-trick before half-time when he hit the post from just outside the area, while Assombalonga came close to adding a third after the break, but sent his chipped effort from a one-on-one with Matthews off target.

Boro had slipped from fifth to eighth in the table during a seven-match winless run, but winning at the University of Bolton Stadium lifts them to seventh and may revive their promotion bid as they aim to end their two-year stay in the second tier.

Bolton manager Phil Parkinson told BBC Radio Manchester:

"The two goals were really disappointing for us, because I thought we were in the game and matching them.

"The lads kept trying to do the right things but we were up against a team with £40m worth of quality.

"It is so difficult to stand there and watch us get beat, but teams like Boro are always going to punish you if you show moments of casual play like we did in the first half."

Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis told BBC Tees:

"I am relieved for the players as I don't think they have deserved to lose six games on the bounce, irrespective of what people say.

"The difference tonight is we took two of our chances, whereas four of the six games we should have won and we didn't.

"I thought we played really well in the first half - we controlled the game and looked a threat - and we had two or three opportunities in the second half.

"The most important thing is not worrying about other teams and other games, but making sure we do the business ourselves."