Goals from Patrick Bamford and Kike have given Middlesbrough a 2-0 lead over Millwall at half time in their Championship clash at the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough dominated possession for much of the early stages, but openings were difficult to come by for Aitor Karanka's side, who came into the game with two losses in their previous three matches.

Opportunities eventually started to arrive for the home side as Kike headed an Adam Clayton cross straight at David Forde before Lee Tomlin's low effort was cleared off the line by Shaun Williams.

The promotion hopefuls took a deserved lead when Tomlin's cross evaded a number of players before reaching Bamford, who kept his composure to beat a helpless Forde with a calm finish.

Millwall struggled to respond to the setback, and they fell further behind when Bamford controlled a high ball before allowing Kike to double the lead from close range.

Ian Holloway's side improved defensively after conceding a second as Middlesbrough settled for controlling the game prior to the break.