With the race for the playoffs reaching its frantic conclusion, and with so few points covering so many teams, there is little margin for error in The Championship.

That does not however mean that there won't be any, and it seems to be one of the sides who for so long looked nailed on for a place in the top six, if not more, are starting to clip all the hurdles on the way to the finishing line.

Middlesbrough have taken just a single point from their last three games, to see their seemingly secure playoff place suddenly become an attainable target for the vast number of sides within the chasing pack. That run of results is concerning enough, before you even take into account the nature in which they came.

The only point on that run came away to a Wigan side who can't seem to buy a win in The Championship at the minute, with Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher missing big chances in either half to take the three points.

That draw has been followed by 'Boro twice becoming masters of their own downfall on home soil against two of the sides that make up the chasing pack. Leading 1-0 a Brentford on Saturday, a Ryan Shotton own goal from a move in which 'Boro should have long since cleared their lines, before Said Benhrama sealed just a second away win all season for The Bees.

Then on Wednesday night, again while 1-0 up at The Riverside, this time against Preston, Daniel Ayala saw red for a reckless lunge Brandon Barker, Paul Gallagher scored from the resulting free kick with North End going on to win thanks to a late header from Jayden Stockley.

While Tony Pulis' side still have their destiny in their own hands, sitting fifth three points clear of the chasing pack, the ability to cut out these errors or take their chances in these three games would have given The Teesiders a much more comfortable run in. As it is, 'Boro fans may yet look back at this run of three games at the end of the season as the point in the season where the little things cost them so much.