Middlesbrough 0 Blackburn 1: Warnock fumes over shocking challenge which left Fry in bloody mess

Neil Warnock turned the air blue on Teesside after Middlesbrough were denied a penalty and lost the wounded Dael Fry in the same incident on the way to a defeat that hampers their promotion hopes.

Warnock, Boro’s septuagenerian boss, let rip at referee Dean Whitehouse after Blackburn’s on-loan Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite kicked his opponent under the right eye contesting a Paddy McNair delivery into the area after an initial corner was cleared.

Fry, who stands 6ft 4ins, hit the turf screaming as his header flew wide and had to be substituted. The gash was stitched up at the Riverside as the match continued.

Although he had stooped slightly, it was hard not to agree with Warnock and his assistants Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson – who all continued their expletive-filled arguments throughout – that the 18-year-old Branthwaite should have been penalised for a high boot.

Failing to keep his voice down in his technical area, Warnock said: ’How hasn’t he seen that? Ref, do you want to come over and watch the TV? They’re saying it’s a penalty on Sky. What f***ing use is that?’

Several other F bombs were dropped as frustration cascaded around the home technical area while Warnock entered the field at full-time and repeatedly shouted at Branthwaite that he should have been sent off.

Blackburn completed their heist in the second half a matter of seconds after Nathan Wood – Fry’s replacement – had struck the woodwork.

Reacting to Thomas Kaminski’s save from Jonny Howson’s flicked header, teenager Wood – son of former Premier League defender Dean Gordon – wrapped his foot around the ball but struck the outside of the upright.

And so it was Blackburn who opened the scoring in the 63rd minute when Harvey Elliott worked a one-two with Adam Armstrong and invited Joe Rothwell to side foot in from eight yards.

It was hard on a Boro side looking to move level on points with sixth-placed Bournemouth with a win.

They did not make Kaminski work as much as they would have wished but the Belgian did produce one fine reaction save at the base of his post from Marcus Tavernier three minutes into the second half. He was also required to touch over Britt Assombalonga’s 27th-minute free kick.

And they succumbed to one of very few chances for the away team while the scores were level.

Despite their mid-table dwelling, Blackburn are the Championship’s top scorers and no player in the division has scored more than Adam Armstrong.

So it was not unreasonable to expect a more cynical finish from the Geordie when Barry Douglas teed him up 10 yards out – however, Middlesbrough goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli remained untroubled as a left-footed effort was shanked wide.

Armstrong was also wasteful six minutes from time when he culminated a breakaway by sweeping over from Sam Gallagher’s pass.

But Rothwell’s effort was sufficient to leave the Boro manager fuming and provide one of his predecessors in Tony Mowbray with a happy return to the Riverside.