​Middlesbrough 0 Bristol City 0

Battling Bristol City frustrated Middlesbrough to gain a valuable Championship point on Teeside and restore lost pride.

Manager Gary Johnson demanded a positive response in the wake of last week’s demoralising 6-0 drubbing against Cardiff and his players obliged, keeping a rare clean sheet and steadying the ship.

There were few highlights in a game which descended into a disjointed stalemate after half time, but that will not worry a City side desperate to bounce back after their midweek humiliation.

It may not have been pretty, yet the Robins displayed grit and tenacity in abundance to produce a performance far more spirited than the abject one served up against the Bluebirds.

Boro created more goal-scoring chances, but seldom troubled Dean Gerken, who hardly had a save of note to make.

City must have fancied their chances when Barry Robson was sent off 12 minutes into the second half, guilty of a second yellow card challenge on Nicky Maynard, but the stalemate continued until the end.

City desperately required the reassurance of a good start following Tuesday’s confidence-sapping 6-0 trouncing at the hands of arch rivals Cardiff. Not surprisingly, they appeared tentative in defence and an under-hit back pass followed by a collective failure to clear their lines resulted in early opportunities for Leroy Lita and Boro captain Gary O’Neil.

Former City striker Lita looked as though he was going to break clean through a back-pedalling defence in the very first minute until his progress was thwarted by Bradley Orr’s robust challenge, while O’Neil seized upon a weak clearance to send a long-range effort over Dean Gerken’s cross bar.

After a less than convincing opening 10 minutes, the visitors finally established a foothold in midfield and Jamal Campbell-Ryce tested Borio keeper Danny Coyne with an angled shot from the edge of the 18 yard box.

Restricted to occasional counter-attacks, City again threatened when Patrick Agyemang drew a foul and Paul Hartley floated a quickly-taken free kick towards the far post. But Louis Carey was unable to direct his downward header into the path of team-mate Nicky Maynard and the home side cleared the danger.

Boro continued to dictate for the most part and centre-back David Wheater went close, meeting O’Neil’s corner with a bullet header which cleared the bar by a matter of inches.

Willo Flood was next to cause alarm bells to go off in City’s defence, beating two players on a mazy run which ended with him being superbly tackled by Carey in the act of shooting.

Although City were living dangerously at times, they were at least showing a good deal more fight and determination than in their last match. Impressive work-rate kept the Teesiders at bay and Boro players and fans alike vented their frustration when midfielder Barry Robson was shown a yellow card by referee Colin Webster after bringing down Maynard inside the centre circle.

City fans in the South Stand breathed a collective sigh of relief when O’Neil sent a low centre skidding across the face of goal and out of play without any red-shirted attacker quite managing to apply a finishing touch. Chris Killen sent a header wide from Tony McMahon’s cross, Adam Johnson was narrowly off target with a driven effort from range and Gerken held Lita’s rising shot as City managed to reach half time unscathed.

City boss Gary Johnson was forced to make a change at half-time, withdrawing the injured Cole Skuse and sending on Marvin Elliott in his place to play alongside Campbell-Ryce and Hartley in a three-man central midfield unit.

The change did not seem to affect the visitors, who exerted early second-half pressure and threatened to break the deadlock when Hartley shot just over from 20 yards out.

Star player Adam Johnson, quiet until now, suddenly burst into life when dispossessing Campbell-Ryce, racing 40 yards without a challenge and then sending a sweetly-struck drive past Gerken’s post.

Controversy flared in the 57^th minute, Robson mistiming a tackle on Maynard, bringing the City striker down and leaving the referee no choice but to brandish a yellow card followed by a red. Robson felt sufficiently aggrieved to argue the toss before heading to the tunnel and an early shower.

But Boro’s 10 men should still have been ahead moments later, City failing to pick up when defending a free kick and Killen somehow contriving to shoot over the bar when it appeared easier to score. Had his effort dipped beneath the bar, the goal would have been ruled out for offside.

If City expected the going to become any easier against reduced numbers, they were made to think again as the game descended into tedium.

Agyemang and Carey were booked for late challenges, both managers made substitutions in a vain attempt to improve their teams and the Riverside faithful, having already endured seven defeats on home soil this season, became increasingly disgruntled.

Chances remained few and far between, but Wheater wasted a wonderful opportunity to earn all three points for Boro when heading over from a corner in time added on.

City (3-5-2): Gerken; Carey, Fontaine, Nyatanga (Sproule 85); Orr, Skuse (Elliott 46), Hartley, Campbell-Ryce, McAllister; Maynard (Haynes 72), Agyemang.

Boro (4-4-2): Coyne; McMahon, Wheater, Grounds, Hoyte (Arca 65); Flood, O’Neil, Robson, Johnson; Killen, Lita (Franks 74).

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear)

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