Middlesbrough strengthened their position in the Sky Bet Championship's automatic promotion places as they ended Norwich's winning run with a 1-0 victory at the Riverside.

Norwich had won four in a row in all competitions prior to visiting Teesside, but they were unable to halt Boro's promotion juggernaut, which has now seen Kim Hellberg's side claim five successive victories.

Hayden Hackney scored the only goal of the game, curling home from distance in the 17th minute, and while Norwich created a couple of decent late opportunities, Boro's defence held firm.

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Hackney had already threatened with a second-minute strike that was saved by Vladan Kovacevic when he opened the scoring in spectacular fashion.

Hellberg wants his side to press aggressively high up the pitch, and the approach paid dividends as Tommy Conway won the ball off the Norwich defence. Riley McGree teed up Hackney, and the Boro skipper curled a superb long-range strike into the top right-hand corner.

Norwich were also trying to get on to the front foot, but while Jovon Makama fired in two decent efforts in the opening 15 minutes, both were saved by Sol Brynn.

Ali Ahmed glanced a header from a free-kick just wide of the far post as Norwich pushed for an equaliser, but Boro's slick one-touch passing meant they too remained a constant threat.

Kovacevic got down well to save from Aidan Morris and then, just before half-time, Ruairi McConville produced a superb sliding block to prevent Morgan Whittaker from scoring after McGree had rolled the Boro forward into the right of the 18-yard box.

Norwich's goalkeeper would have had his heart in his mouth when he brought down a breaking Conway just outside the penalty area 10 minutes into the second half.

Boro's players were calling for a red card, but Conway was heading very wide and McConville was back covering in the heart of the 18-yard box, with referee Ben Toner opting to show a yellow instead.

Boro were comfortable for most of the second half, although their failure to turn their plentiful possession into clear-cut chances after the break meant the game remained in the balance.

And Norwich should really have equalised with 12 minutes left. Anis Ben Slimane's shot was blocked, but the ball broke kindly to an unmarked Makama, only for the striker to blaze wide from the right of the box.

Makama went close again in the 89th minute, but while he nudged the ball past Brynn after breaking clear, he was denied by a brilliant piece of covering defending from Boro substitute Dael Fry.

The managers

Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg:

"I think this was the most beautiful ugly minutes I've ever seen in football. Especially the last 10, where it was just about digging in and fighting and getting out with second balls.

"I was so pleased with how we defended in the second half. I can't remember them having a chance, other than one moment right at the end where we cleared it.

"Keeping a team that had won four in a row away from really having a chance to score, I think that is unbelievable quality from us.

"It wasn't our best day with the ball in the second half, but that wasn't needed. What was needed was fight, and we did that unbelievably with everyone together."

Norwich's Philippe Clement:

"If I see where the team was a while ago and now, it's very important to be competitive against a team like Middlesbrough.

"I saw a lot of interesting things and I also saw some things we can do better.

"You need to take the small moments, like they did. It was not a game with an immense amount of occasions for either side because both sides were defending really well and really intense.

"In the end, we had three shots from Jovs (Makama) and those shots need to be at least on target. Those are things to work on with the young group of players that we have."

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