Middlesbrough drop from top after Portsmouth defeat

Middlesbrough were held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke City at the Riverside on Tuesday but saw their unbeaten start to the Championship end four days later with a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth at Fratton Park, Rob Edwards side dropping from the top of the table ahead of the international break. The midweek stalemate left Middlesbrough unbeaten in eight league games, while the loss on Saturday ended that sequence and handed Portsmouth a first league victory in five.

At the Riverside, Edwards switched to a flat back four to counter Stoke's wide threat and dominated the opening half without finding a way through. George Edmundson was forced off with a hamstring problem inside the opening minutes, prompting Luke Ayling to move into the centre and Sammy Silvera to fill in at right back. Callum Brittain was passed fit to start and Dael Fry returned to the bench. Middlesbrough created several openings but Viktor Johansson kept Stoke level, and Sol Brynn was largely untroubled until a more open second half, when he produced a series of important saves to preserve the clean sheet.

Edwards said he was frustrated by a penalty decision that went against Middlesbrough after Tommy Conway went down...