Middlesbrough dropped out of the Premier League with a whimper as they crashed to their 12th successive away defeat, losing 2-1 to West Ham at Upton Park to end a miserable season.

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For a brief moment in the second-half the visiting fans had hope when Gary O'Neil equalised Carlton Cole's first-half opener but seven minutes later Junior Stanislas put the Hammers back in front.

Gareth Southgate's side needed to win the match to have any chance of extending their 11-year spell in the top flight but they now must prepare for life in the Championship.

Middlesbrough had more of the play in the first half but didn't force Robert Green into a single save in the opening 45 minutes with their abysmal crossing.

They were then caught out down the left for the opener, just after the half hour mark, with Luis Boa Morte putting clear the overlapping Herita Ilunga.

The left-back then rolled across a fine low ball and Cole redirected it into the corner of the net to remind Fabio Capello that he is fit and ready for England selection.

At the break Southgate would have been at least encouraged to find that his rivals for relegation were all losing and certainly Boro showed more purpose in the early stages of the second-half.

They equalised just four minutes into the second period with Tuncay playing a lovely delayed pass which allowed O'Neil to come alongside him and put a low shot into the corner of the net.

However, O'Neil would turn villain seven minutes later as he lazily failed to track his man Stanislas back allowing the young Hammer to drill a low shot towards the corner of the net.

Brad Jones should still have saved with ease but he let the ball squeeze under his body to gift West Ham the lead.

After that it was a slow and painful death for the Middlesbrough fans as they never looked remotely like getting back into the game with West Ham always looking the more likely side to score.

There was still time for O'Neil to put a further stain on his performance moments before the end as he was lucky not to be sent-off after a bad two footed tackle on Diego Tristan.

Middlesbrough were not so lucky in their bid to stay in the Premier League though with their shocking away form eventually proving their undoing.