Leicester's faint hopes of a footballing miracle were dealt another cruel blow courtesy of a moment of madness from own-goal specialist Frank Sinclair.

Leicester centre-back Sinclair must wish the earth would open up and swallow him on occasions because he produced another incredulous gaffe in the third minute to settle a deadly-dull affair at the Riverside.

It is a goal which will be repeated on television, and one Sinclair will be reminded of, for many years to come as he added to his burgeoning collection.

At the start of the 1999-2000 season, Sinclair was the butt of jokes as he twice found his own net in the space of a week, including a 90th-minute winner for Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day.

If rock-bottom Leicester had been safely ensconced in mid-table rather than hurtling headlong towards the Nationwide League, what happened on this occasion might not have been so galling for both Sinclair and Leicester to swallow.

But then when the world appears to be against you, and nothing is going your way, you would hope your players have enough sense and sensibility not to compound the problem.

When Dave Bassett described some of his players as having hearts the size of peas earlier this week, he surely did not reckon their brains were of equal measure.

Middlesbrough went into the game without a goal to their credit in the team's four previous Premiership meetings with the Foxes, who had won three and drawn one of those matches.

But that statistic was quickly expunged, and in the annals of Sinclair's inglorious past, extraordinarily so in the extreme and yet a further indication of just why Leicester are destined for Division One football next season.

When Sinclair received an innocuous cross-field ball from Matthew Piper there was no danger, with no Boro player within yards of the unfortunate defender.

Sinclair then struck a firm back pass from 30 yards towards Ian Walker, crucially without bothering to check his goalkeeper's position.

Walker, stood just inside his own 18-yard box, dived in vain as the ball had too much pace on it as it raced into the net, ensuring there was embarrassment and accusing fingers all round.

With City's confidence shaken, Boro should have added a second moments later as skipper Paul Ince lofted a deft and delightful pass behind the Leicester defence for Noel Whelan.

But with the goal at his mercy, Whelan's angled side-foot shot from six yards was directed straight at the grateful Walker, allowing Leicester to breathe a deep sigh of relief, before quickly regaining their composure.

Their best chance of salvaging a point came within the following few minutes as first Mark Schwarzer saved a close-range attempt from Paul Dickov, starting his first game for the Foxes following his switch from Manchester City last week.

Muzzy Izzet, who recently rejected a £6million move to Teesside as he felt it would not be a wise one, then flicked a six-yard header within inches of the right-hand post.

In light of the two club's respective positions, Izzet is now perhaps querying the wisdom of his own decision, and for his sins also ended up being one of five players booked in a game which lacked quality, with the exception of Boro's livewire Italian Benito Carbone.

Leicester, for their part, at least showed greater determination and fight, instead of folding like the proverbial pack of cards as they did against Derby last week.

But this was still a dismal advert for top-flight football, with the only other worthwhile chance being a 20-yard screamer from Jonathan Greening in the 64th minute which struck the right-hand post.

Sinclair at least gave an assured performance at the heart of the City defence following his early aberration, but sadly for Leicester it has proven to be the latest nail in the coffin of their Premiership existence.

Teams:

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Mustoe, Ince, Greening (Windass 81), Whelan (Murphy 71), Boksic (Nemeth 90), Carbone.

Subs Not Used: Crossley, Gavin.

Booked: Ince, Carbone.

Goals: Sinclair 4 og.

Leicester: Walker, Sinclair, Davidson, Elliott, Marshall, Izzet, Savage, Piper, Scowcroft, Deane, Dickov (Oakes 85).

Subs Not Used: Royce, Delaney, Laursen, Heath.

Booked: Savage, Elliott.

Att: 25,734

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).