'That’s scandalous at this level': Neil Warnock's gives honest assessment after Middlesbrough's defeat by Bristol City

Two goals from Robins striker Nahki Wells, either side of a Jamie Paterson strike, sealed the game for the visitors before Britt Assombalonga grabbed a late consolation for Boro.

The Teessiders were once again exposed on the counter attack at the Riverside and remain two points above the Championship relegation zone with three games to go.

Yet the game could have been very different if Fry had taken a golden chance when the score was still 1-0, an opportunity which the centre-back blazed over the bar.

When asked about his side being cut open on the break, Warnock said: “You have to hope you have players who can read those situations and it doesn’t materialise into that breakaway.

"They scored the second goal from our corner, that’s scandalous at this level but I can’t fault the effort so it’s no good me telling you who’s been cut to shreds.

“I tell you now if Dael’s goes in and it’s 1-1, it’s a different ball game, you see our lads lifted, the confidence would be more.

“Instead we give another goal away and it’s all desolate and the end of the world.

Boro have lost both games under Warnock at the Riverside and will now hope for a response when they travel to Reading on Tuesday.

“I don’t think there’s any advantage,” said Warnock when asked about playing at home. “I don’t think we’ve won at home this year have we.

“I can’t see systems or anything like that changing around if I’m honest, I think we’ve just got to go down to Reading with a positive attitude and see what we can do.

“There were parts of the game where I thought we did alright. I thought Marvin (Johnson) did well today, I thought Djed (Spence) came through a sticky patch, I thought George Friend did alright.

“There were some pluses today but at the end of the day if you concede goals and shoot yourselves in the foot you are never going to play with confidence.”