Afonso Alves proved the scourge of Manchester City once again as his coolly-dispatched 53rd-minute penalty helped Middlesbrough towards the points after a 2-0 win at the Riverside Stadium.
Brazilian Alves had hit a hat-trick in rather different circumstances in the corresponding fixture last season as Boro struck an extraordinary eight goals past their opponents to round off their campaign.
On a decidedly more chilly evening another nine-goal epic was always a distant dream but that will not perturb Boro boss Gareth Southgate, whose workmanlike side were full value for their points.
They were finally secured in the fifth minute of injury-time when Boro streaked over the halfway line and Tuncay Sanli squared for Gary O'Neil to lash his side's second into the roof of the net.
Goalkeeper Ross Turnbull made a super series of saves to deny Vincent Kompany, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips but ultimately City boss Mark Hughes could have few complaints.
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