Middlesbrough prevented their season from unravelling further by booking their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a hard-fought victory over Coventry.

The Barclays Premiership strugglers, who will travel to Preston next weekend, were ahead after 20 minutes through Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's ninth goal of the season, and were well in control when the half-time whistle sounded.

However, Coca-Cola Championship Coventry set about their hosts with some relish after the break, and although they at times left themselves vulnerable at the back, they ensured an intensely difficult last 45 minutes for Steve McClaren and his under-fire troops.

Boro have found themselves under the spotlight in recent days but they left the pitch tonight, for once with cheers rather than boos from a crowd of 14,131 marking their exit.

However, things might have been a little different had goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer not managed to cling on to Stern John's last minute shot on the turn.

Hasselbaink is also a goalscorer of proven quality, and he did not disappoint when the first real chance of the game came his way on 20 minutes.

In fairness, the through-ball provided by £7.5million strike-partner Aiyegbeni Yakubu left him little to do, but the 33-year-old rounded goalkeeper Marton Fulop to finish left-footed.

He might have doubled his tally within five minutes but for a good save from Fulop after Gaizka Mendieta had played him in over the top, and while Schwarzer needed to be at his best to keep out John's near-post flick from the impressive Gary McSheffrey's 37th-minute cross, Boro were rarely in any trouble.

That was due in part to the return of central defender Chris Riggott, who slipped into a back five as the manager kept his promise of going back to basics.

McClaren also handed a return to fit-again midfielder Fabio Rochemback, whose form has been indifferent at times since his summer arrival from Sporting Lisbon.

The Brazilian was enterprising in the middle of the park, but undid much of his good work by repeatedly squandering possession in advanced positions.

City boss Micky Adams changed both personnel and system at the break when he withdrew right-sided midfielder James Scowcroft and replaced him with Claus Jorgensen and pushed McSheffrey up alongside John and Dele Adebola.

However, it was Boro who went close on 49 minutes after full-back Andrew Taylor combined well with Rochemback and then found Yakubu, although Mendieta screwed his shot wide from 20 yards.

John sent a 52nd-minute header wide after beating Schwarzer to Marcus Hall's left-wing cross, and Emanuel Pogatetz had to block a McSheffrey shot at point-blank range after Don Hutchison and Dele Adebola had combined well four minutes later.

The City fans were off their seats with 59 minutes gone when John rose to meet another Hall cross unopposed in front of goal, but it was too high for him to do any damage. Four minutes later Doriva headed a McSheffrey corner on to the roof of his own net.

Yakubu might have calmed the nerves within two minutes if the accuracy of his shooting had been matched by the quality of his preparatory work.

Mendieta went close for Boro 20 minutes, but there was a collective intake of breath two minutes later when full-back Hall sent a dipping volley across Schwarzer and just wide of his left post.

In the meantime, McClaren had replaced Yakubu, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Michael Doyle, with record signing Massimo Maccarone, and the Italian was calling in vain for a penalty 16 minutes from time after going to ground under Ady Williams' challenge.

Stuart Parnaby forced a good save from Fulop with a blistering 82nd-minute drive, but Schwarzer had to match him in the final minute before Robert Page blocked Maccarone's injury-time effort on the line.

Teams

Middlesbrough Schwarzer, Pogatetz, Riggott, Southgate,Parnaby, Mendieta (Bates 81), Doriva, Rochemback, Taylor,Yakubu (Maccarone 71), Hasselbaink.

Subs Not Used: Jones, Viduka, Johnson.

Booked: Taylor, Yakubu, Pogatetz.

Goals: Hasselbaink 20.

Coventry Fulop, Whing (Morrell 85), Page, Williams, Hall,Scowcroft, Hutchison, Doyle, McSheffrey, Adebola, John.

Subs Not Used: Ince, Jorgensen, Heath, Shaw.

Booked: Scowcroft, Hutchison.

Att: 14,131

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).