Fulham beaten at home by Middlesbrough

Fulham 0 Middlesbrough 2

Fulham suffered a seventh home defeat in the Championship this season and ended the game with 10 men.

Middlesbrough were ahead after just three minutes when the impressive Albert Adomah headed home Stewart Downing’s cross at the far post.

And skipper Grant Leadbitter converted a penalty after David Nugent was brought down inside the box by Chris Baird.

Whites defender Richard Stearman was shown a straight red card on 85 minutes after he brought down substitute Jordan Rhodes.

Stearman’s inclusion was one of three changes and the centre-back had a game to forget.

He was part of a defence that struggled to contain promotion-chasing Boro and he almost cost his side a third goal when he was tackled on the edge of his box and needed Michael Madl to stop Gaston Ramirez.

A disastrous a first half for Fulham was compounded by an injury to Ryan Fredericks, who was replaced by striker Moussa Dembele on 22 minutes, and the hosts did improve before half-time.

Dembele forced Boro keeper Dimitrios Konstantopolous to save with a bicycle-kick from close-range and Madl also saw his goal-bound header cleared off the line by Ritchie De Laet.

The Whites struggled to create chances as the game wore on, however, with substitute Jamie O’Hara going closest when he flashed a shot wide of the far post late on.

Stearman’s awful day got even worse when he lost possession to Rhodes with a heavy touch was sent off for bringing the striker down.