Blackpool and Middlesbrough are still goalless after a quiet opening half at Bloomfield Road.

Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Forshaw almost opened the scoring after just five minutes when he was found with an accurate through-ball, but he poked his effort narrowly wide.

It took Middlesbrough another 20 minutes to fashion a second real chance, and it took a smart save by Blackpool's Joe Lewis to keep out Daniel Ayala's close-range header.

Blackpool failed to seriously test Middlesbrough keeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos in a frustrating opening half for the hosts.