Middlesbrough secured their Premiership status for next season with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth at the Riverside.

The hosts weathered an early storm from Porstmouth, and took the lead at the end of an otherwise uneventful first half through a fine header from Chris Riggott off a Fabio Rochemback corner.

Another Rochemback corner eight minutes into the second half proved the source of Middlesbrough's second, this time Sanli Tuncay glancing home at the near post.

The result sees Middlesbrough move above Sunderland into 14th position, while Portsmouth fall into 8th behind Blackburn Rovers.

Middlesbrough may have had more resting on the game, given Portsmouth's five point deficit to fifth-placed Everton, but it was the visitors who made the better start, carving out three clear-cut chances in the opening 10 minutes.

The second of two successive free-kicks for Pompey soon after kick-off was driven in dangerously to the near post by Niko Kranjcar, and Hermann Hreidarsson somehow diverted the ball skywards after ghosting in at the near post.

Moments later the impressive Arnold Mvuemba scampered clear down the right wing and laid an inviting ball back for Milan Baros, whose low shot was blocked by Riggott. The danger wasn't clear though, and the ball fell perfectly for Glen Jonhson only for the full-back to lash wide from inside the area.

Stewart Downing and Tuncay showed ambition on occasions when running at the Pompey defence, though never genuinely looked like threatening Jamie Ashdown's goal.

The game seemed to be drifting along quietly to half-time, when Boro stepped up their intensity, and duly reaped the rewards. Rochemback fizzed a fine corner into the hear of the Pompey area, and Riggott leapt high above Sylvain Distin to thump a close-range header past Ashdown.

Rochemback's prodigious right-foot provided another chance for Riggott on the stroke of half-time, though this time the defender was unable to direct his header goalwards.

Rochemback's questionable battling qualities have often seen him consigned to the bench, though the quality of his passing and delivery is beyond reproach, and it was from another wonderful set-piece delivery that Boro grabbed their second of the game.

He whipped a pacy, inswinging ball to the near post, where Tuncay lost the attentions of Johnson to glance home a fine header.

The lack of any real reaction from Porstmouth, aside from a Kranjcar drive that flashed past the far post, prompted Harry Redknapp to replace Papa Douba Diop and Baros with David Nugent and Sean Davis,

The ploy seemed to inject some life into Portsmouth, who forced a succession of corners, though a wayward drive from Johnson was all they could show in the way of attempts at goal.

Downing should have put the game to bed with 15 minutes to go after he was left unmarked on the left hand side of the area, though Ashdown saved well with his feet.

Nevertheless, the hosts kept Portsmouth pinned back in their own half for much of the final ten minutes, and can approach the final game of the season against Manchester City safe in the knowledge that relegation is no longer an issue.

Michel FitzGerald / Eurosport