Middlesbrough's unbeaten streak has put them on the promotion path

Chris Wilder's Middlesbrough continued their momentum in the EFL Championship with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The win extends Middlesbrough's unbeaten run in the division to five matches. In this span, the club has collected 13 points from a possible 15.

Dominant win against Nottingham Forest

Middlesbrough came into the game on the back of a close 1-0 win over last week's league leaders Bournemouth. At the start of the game, Nottingham Forest led Middlesbrough by a point. However, as early as the 17th minute of the game, Forest conceded a casual opening goal.

Jonny Howson put Forest midfielder Ryan Yates under pressure 25 yards from goal. The Reds midfielder hit a blind pass back to the keeper which ended up crossing the goal line.

It gave Middlesbrough the momentum to win the game. Despite Forest dominating second-half possession, the home team created more chances and had more shots on target.

The final goal in the match came in the 67th minute when Matt Crooks' low cross was parried out by the Forest goalkeeper. However, Andraz Sporar was close by to slam the loose ball home.

Boro, who were out of the top ten ahead of the game, have catapulted to fifth in the division.

Middlesbrough's recent run

Wilder's men have looked rejuvenated ever since their home defeat to Preston North End last month. Interestingly, they were sixteenth following that defeat. A month later, they are fifth in the standings.

They have registered impressive victories against Huddersfield, Swansea and Bournemouth in the process. The victory over Bournemouth was a galvaniser for the Boro fans as it was their first victory in the campaign against a top three team.

Boro's defence proving to be a rock

Middlesbrough's defense has brought a lot of optimism to the Riverside fans. Often a victim of their sluggish backline over the years, the recruitment of Sol Bamba from Cardiff City has proved to be impressive. The new centre-back pairing of Bamba and Nathan Wood, who returned from loan at Hibernian FC, has given Boro an inevitable edge in tighter contests.

It is one of the reasons they have already managed to do a double over Cardiff and Nottingham Forest both.

Upcoming fixtures

Middlesbrough will have one major outing in their next five league games. It happens to be the New Year's Day match against Sheffield United. Apart from that, they enjoy an easy fixture list with games against Reading, Blackburn and Coventry City.