Boro equalled a Riverside best nine home wins in a row with an assured victory over Luton Town.
In a close-fought if unspectacular game of football, the Teessiders ultimately did the business to leapfrog their in-form opponents into the Sky Bet Championship’s play-off places.
A now-customary pair of changes up front, with Folarin Balogun and Aaron Connolly coming in for Duncan Watmore and Andraz Sporar, were Chris Wilder’s only edits from Boro’s midweek heroics against Tottenham at the same venue.
There was little between the sides as they sized each other up in the early stages, until Boro pounced to win the penalty kick with a shade over a quarter of an hour played.
It stemmed from Boro’s right flank, Isaiah Jones bursting onto a pass before sending it sideways to Folarin Balogun, who checked inside before being brought down by Hatters defender James Bree.
Up stepped Paddy McNair, keeping a cool head to send emergency loan signing Alex Palmer the wrong way and slot into the bottom corner.
The same could not be said of Cameron Jerome, minutes after the opener the striker went in high and late on Anfernee Dijksteel but escaped with only a yellow card.
The experienced striker had the Hatters only real sight of goal in a first half that offered few clear cut chances, prodding a shot straight at a grateful Joe Lumley, while Boro controlled more of the ball without further testing Palmer.
Lumley was called upon three times in the early stages of the second half, Boro’s goalkeeper doing well firstly to produce a double save at the feet of Elijah Adebayo who had beaten the offside trap, then also saving a Jerome header from the resulting corner.
After that, Boro navigated the next period of the game without much goalmouth action, until a late flurry of activity.
First came Boro’s second goal, a reward for the typical persistence of Duncan Watmore who had a shot blocked, but saw the ball fall kindly for a second try which he duly drilled past Palmer.
Luton did pull one back deep into stoppage time, substitute Harry Cornick tucking in Adebayo’s ball across goal, but too late to threaten Boro’s impressive run on home soil.