Hammer blow as Middlesbrough crash out of Premier League

Middlesbrough’s 11-year stay in the Premier League is at an end following a 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday.

Goals from Carlton Cole and Junior Stanislas either side of a strike from Gary O’Neil ensured there was no final-day reprieve for Gareth Southgate’s side at Upton Park.

The visitors had needed not only to win themselves but also both Hull and Newcastle to lose to have any hope of pulling off an unlikely escape but, although their relegation rivals duly obliged, Boro’s dismal away form proved fatal.

A lack of goals – just 32 all season – had cost them and their away record was particularly poor with just two victories recorded outside Teesside, the most recent dating back to November.

The reverse equalled an unwanted Premier League record of 12 successive away defeats and a exodus of players from the Riverside is now expected, with captain Stewart Downing, absent because of a foot injury, likely to be first.

The result lifted Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham side above Tottenham, who lost at Liverpool, into eighth place.

The first chance of the game came the visitors’ way when Adam Johnson was picked out in space beyond the far post but the midfielder’s hurried effort was high and wide.

Brad Jones, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, was not required to make a save until Radoslav Kovac fired a 20-yard drive straight at him and there was a chance at the other end within a minute.

Tuncay Sanli cut in from the right to send a curling effort just wide of Robert Green’s right-hand post and just beyond the on-rushing Johnson.

West Ham came close to opening the scoring seconds later however when Stanislas saw a shot on the turn from the edge of the area take a slight deflection and rebound off the crossbar.

Stanislas’s next effort was wildly off target but, though the away fans were boosted by news that Hull were losing to Manchester United, they soon saw their side fall behind to Cole’s 33rd minute opener.

Overlapping left-back Herita Ilunga supplied a low ball across the penalty area and Cole, playing his first game since suffering a groin injury on England duty in March, kept his cool to slot past Jones and remind national team manager Fabio Capello of his attributes.

Jones was able to watch a Kovac effort fizz past a post before the half ended with news that Newcastle had also fallen behind.

Southgate made two substitutions at half-time, replacing Julio Arca and Tony McMahon with Josh Walker and Joe Bennett to switch to a more attacking formation.

It worked as within four minutes O’Neil made it 1-1 with an angled drive after Tuncay had set him up on the right of the box.

That good work was undone two minutes before the hour mark however when Jones allowed an effort from outside the box from Stanislas to slip under his glove as he dived to his right.

Jones made partial amends a few minutes later by diving at the feet of substitute Kieron Dyer, who had come on for Mark Noble, but his side already knew they were doomed.