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A QUICK response to a shock opener then a deadly final flourish earned Boro a 3-1 win in their final fixture of the season at the Riverside and relegated Barnsley.
Boro dominated the first half but failed to put away a string of chances then Barnsley took the lead early in the second as Jean-Yves M'Voto hooked home from a corner.
But Boro levelled within 60 seconds as Lee Tomlin drilled home then in a lively finish they went ahead in the final minute through unmarked Danny Graham before lively Tomlin wrapped it up deep in stoppage time.
Boro brought Jonathan Woodgate back into the centre of defence with Ben Gibson switching to left-back in place of injured George Friend.
Jacob Butterfield returned to midfield in place of Nathaniel Chalobah while Adam Reach – back from a loan spell at Bradford – started ahead of Emmanuel Ledesma and Lee Tomlin came in for Luke Williams.
Boro probed first in the second minute as a quick ball over the top from Gibson sent Reach storming towards the box but the keeper was out of his box quickly to beat him in a sprint and hoof clear.
Boro were pressing high up the pitch and forcing Barnsley into some nervous defending.
On six minutes Tomlin wrestled to win a ball in midfield then chipped over the top for Graham to chase down the inside right channel but again the keeper won the race to clear.
Boro's first real chance came on eight minutes as Reach was quickly in to steal the ball from sluggish M'voto and wriggled into the box on the left but his shot flew over.
Barnsley went close on 12 minutes as Pedersen swung a cross into the box and it clipped Kenneth Omeruo and squirted goalwards forcing Dimi Konstantopoulos to dive full length to save at the foot of the far post.
Boro were back on the attack soon after and after a touch on by Tomlin, former Barnsley man Butterfield blazed over from 25 yards.
And they went close on 17 minutes when Varga played a one two with Butterfield on the right then picked out Tomlin to push to the edge of the box for Graham and although his first touch was poor he recovered to drill a foot over.
Barnsley started to press forward tentatively and won a couple of corners which Konstantopoulos collected routinely.
Boro almost broke through on 28 minutes as Butterfield flicked into the path of Tomlin 20 yards out but he stumbled then turned into a defender and the moment was gone.
The visitors launched a rare raid down the right in the half-hour but McLaughlin cut inside and put in a weak long 20 yard angled shot that trickled towards Konstantopoulos.
Boro almost carved out the opened on 32 minutes as Reach cut in from the left and when his angled shot was blocked by defender Etuhu it fell for Tomlin who rifled in first time effort that came back off the keeper's chest.
A minute later Boro went close again as a Tomlin shot from the edge of the box on the right was parried by the keeper to Reach on the far side and his angled effort flew past the far post with Adomah coming in but just failing to connect.
And then on 35 minutes Graham did well to win a sliding challenge then tapped the loose ball back to Adomah who tricked to the edge of the box only to curl a weak shot to the far post that was routinely saved.
Then, as the pressure built, first Reach pulled back for Adomah to stab a shot that hit defender Kennedy's head then bounced back for Butterfield but his effort was charged down in a crowded box.
On 40 minutes Woodgate limped off with Daniel Ayala coming off the bench.
Boro continued to press and on 42 minutes went close as Tomlin laid a ball back for Reach to drill a sizzling 25 yard effort through the crowd that was parried.
Then a minute later lively Butterfield barged through a challenge 20 yards out to crack in low shot that sent the keeper full length to tip around the near post.
And on the stroke of half-time Butterfield crossed in for Ayala to stab goalwards but again Steele saved well.
HALF-TIME: BORO 0 BARNSLEY 0
Boro started on the offensive but they were guilty of over-elaboration as first they swamped the Barnsley box only to lay it back for Tomlin to put a long range low effort wide.
Then Tomlin slotted into Reach in a good position in the box but he checked inside and then back again before being closed down and playing it back for Graham to fire over.
Barnsley snatched a shock opener with their first attack on the half on 53 minutes.
When Ayala conceded a cheap corner Cranie sent it bouncing through the Boro box and when no-one attacked it JEAN-YVES M'VOTO casually hooked it goalwards and it bounced beyond the dive of Konstantopoulos.
But Boro hit back within 60 seconds as LEE TOMLIN seized on a loose ball on the edge of the box, took a touch and fired a low shot across the diving keeper and inside the far post on 54 minutes..
And Boro almost took the lead a minute later as they won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Graham sent it dipping a fraction over the bar.
On the hour Boro put on Nathaniel Chalobah for Butterfield while Barnsley introduced O'Brien and Proschwitz for Lawrence and Pedersen.
Barnsley had a long range effort on 65 minutes as O'Brien cracked straight at the keeper from 30 yards.
On 66 minutes Seb Hines came on for injured Omeruo.
Barnsley had a good chance on 78 minutes as a cross came in from the left for Proschwitz to fire over when he had time and space to pick his spot.
On 70 minutes Gibson was booked for handball.
Barnsley threatened again as a free-kick was scrambled away and M'Voto hooked it back into the crowd and keeper Konstantopoulos, crowded by two attackers, punched the ball high in the air then leapt to collect.
Then from a Kennedy corner M'Voto shrugged off Hines to power a header over.
There was a nasty clash of heads on 78 minutes as Ayala and M'Voto crunched each other challenging for a cross.
On 80 minutes Barnsley put on Rose for McLaughlin.
Boro broke forward quickly to threaten on 83 minutes as Tomlin got down the right and chipped to the far side to pick out the run of Graham but a defender stretched to just poke it away.
And they should have sealed victory on 85 minutes as Chalobah burst into the box and then squared for unmarked Tomlin but he took poor touch and when he belatedly drilled in an angled shot the keeper had charged out to block.
On 88 minutes Chalobah was booked for a foul on Dawson
But Boro sealed victory on 90 minutes when a cross into the box fell to Adomah aand when his 10 yard shot was blocked by the keeper it spun to DANNY GRAHAM who slammed home from eight yards out.
And Boro wrapped it up three minutes into stoppage time when Varga won a tackle and charged down the right then found LEE TOMLIN who played a one-two with Adomah then drilled home.
BORO (4231): Konstantopoulos, Varga, Omeruo (Hines 66), Woodgate © (Ayala 40), Gibson, Butterfield (Chalobah 60), Whitehead, Reach, Tomlin, Graham, Adomah. Subs: Steele, Main, Ledesma, Morris
BARNSLEY (442): Steele, McLaughlin (Rose 80), Kennedy, M'voto, Cranie, Etuhu, Dawson, Lawrence (O'Brien 60), Jennings, O'Grady, Pedersen (Proschwitz 60) Subs: Turner, Cywka, Mellis, Rose, Ramage.
Ref: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire)
Att: 14,867 (751 visitors)
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