Boro followed up their cup heroics at the Etihad with a vital victory in the league to keep in touch at the top of the Championship.
Grant Leadbitter's penalty on the stroke of half-time was enough to secure all three points for Boro at Brentford.
The Gazette's Boro editor Philip Tallentire offers five observations from the game:
1. Aitor Karanka is happy to use Adam Forshaw in an attacking midfield role, as well as a defensive one. The former Brentford and Wigan 23-year-old immediately occupied the No10 position behind striker Jelle Vossen when he replaced Albert Adomah in the 68 minute while Lee Tomlin moved to the left flank.
2. Ryan Fredericks and Kenneth Omeruo both looked rusty in the opening exchanges, which is understandable given their lack of recent first team football. Fortunately, they looked more assured as the game progressed and played their part in yet another Boro clean sheet.
3. Boro could, probably should, have been playing 10 men in the second half. Patrick Bamford would have been clean through on goal with nobody between him and an unguarded net had David Button not tripped him up inside the box but the referee only cautioned the keeper.
4. What a contribution Grant Leadbitter is making to Boro's 'goals scored' total. The skipper took his tally to 12 for the season, including eight from the penalty spot, when he scored the winner at Brentford.
5. Ben Gibson must be one of the first names on the Boro team sheet these days. While he may not wear the armband, he looks every inch a captain, leading by example to marshal a defence which has now kept seven clean sheets in eight games.
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