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Boro left it late to secure their most important win of the season so far.

David Nugent popped up in the final seconds to hammer a bullet header beyond the reach of Allan McGregor.

Jonathon Taylor offers five observations from the game:

The fans answered the manager's call

Aitor Karanka delivered a message over the tannoy before kick-off, urging the Boro supporters to stay with the team and support the players on the pitch.

The Riverside faithful certainly answered their manager’s call, with the stadium rocking throughout.

It’s been a tough week for Boro both on and off the pitch, as the team’s promotion campaign looked at one point on the brink of imposion.

But what a difference a few days can make - as Boro huffed and puffed, and finally got their reward.

Karanka’s celebrations on the touchline after David Nugent’s late goal showed just how much he wants to deliver promotion this season.

And the aftermath proved that that Boro are finally united once more, with the finishing line in sight.

Rock solid defences

For long spells, you could see why Hull City and Boro boast the best two defences in the Championship.

Both looked rock solid for the most part, and it was a real tactical war of attrition on the pitch.

But who would blink first? In the end, Boro got their reward for sheer persistence, and the foundations that Karanka has built to transform the club from mid-table hopefuls into genuine promotion contenders were there for everyone to see.

The defence was dogged and resilient, and midfield duo Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter never stopped.

It was the Boro we have all become used to - one that doesn’t concede cheap goals and is hard to breach. Afterwards, Karanka said it’s “difficult” to beat Boro when they play as well as that.

They’ll need to maintain those standards for the rest of the season - but if they do, then it’s hard to see Boro finishing outside of the top two.

Frustration on the flanks

It was a frustrating night for the most part as wide men Emilio Nsue, George Friend, Albert Adomah and Cristhian Stuani all struggled to provide quality service from the flanks for the most part.

But Boro kept getting into good positions - and it was perhaps inevitable that one would eventually land on the head of a striker.

In the end, it was Adomah who produced a cross every inch as good as the one at Ipswich in December, and it was clinically converted by David Nugent.

If at first you don’t succeed, cross, cross and cross again.

Striker's time will come

Jordan Rhodes was given the nod up front for Boro and put in another selfless display, and although his movement was again sharp, the final ball just never came for him.

There’s no doubting his ability - this is a striker who has scored 20+ goals in every Championship season since 2008/09.

The goals haven’t quite come for him at Boro yet, but the hard work and the intelligence in his play is certainly there in abundance.

He eventually made way for David Nugent - and the ex-Leicester man put away the one chance he had with a clinical header.

It was a sensational finish - and it can’t have been easy for the £4m summer signing being in and out of the team of late.

Finally, Nugent got what he deserved - and it gives Karanka a tough decision to make at QPR after the international break.

Fighting for the same end goal

It’s been an unusual, tense and difficult week for all at Boro, but the celebrations after Nugent’s goal showed that the club are all together and fighting for the same end goal once more.

Staff, players and fans celebrated in unison on a night that could prove to be a pivotal one in the context of the season.

Boro now go into the international break in high spirits, knowing they are nine matches away from promotion.

It’s in their hands - and now Karanka needs to keep everyone on Teesside calm and focused.

It could be a very special season yet.