ROVERS Reserves are still searching for their first points of the season after Middlesbrough condemned them to a third straight defeat at Morecambe's Christie Park last night.

A pair of superbly executed strikes from Noel Whelan and Allan Johnston ended up accounting for Alan Murray's men after the home side had started brightly.

And to cap a disappointing night, Gordon Greer then saw red in the 80th minute for a second bookable offence after tempers became increasingly frayed during a niggly finale.

Whelan took the chance to impress the watching Steve McLaren with a stunning first-half chip to put the visitors in charge.

And he was instrumental again when Johnston then wrapped up the points with an equally impressive finish in the 68th minute.

However, the late dismissal of Carlos Marinelli for a second bookable offence took the gloss off what turned out to be a comfortable win for Boro.

Rovers made a lively start and veteran keeper Mark Crossley had to be on his toes to save from both Jonathan Douglas and Marc Richards.

But it was the visitors who took the lead in the 26th minute with a goal right out of the top drawer.

Marinelli slipped a clever ball through to Whelan who spotted keeper Ryan Robinson straying from his line and floated a perfectly weighted chip under the crossbar from fully 25 yards.

After that, the game degenerated into a scrappy affair and a flurry of fouls after the break saw five men booked in as many minutes.

However, in a moment of rare quality, Boro struck again after a slick counter-attack tore the Rovers defence to shreds.

Stuart Parnaby fed the ball into Whelan and the striker out-foxed his marker with a clever flick which dropped for Johnston to curl a sweet left-footed strike in.

Greer was dismissed with 10 minutes left when the ref showed him a second yellow for man-handling Marinelli.

But the Argentinian received his marching orders in the 87th minute for a needless lunge at Darren Hockenhull.

BLACKBURN ROVERS RES...0

MIDDLESBROUGH RES...2

ROVERS: Robinson, Hockenhull, Morgan, Douglas, Greer, Taylor, Corbett, Danns, Richards, Ostenstad, Dunning. Subs: Gallagher (for Ostenstad, 75), Bruce (for Hockenhull, 90) Not used: Donnelly, Nelson, Renton

BORO: Crossley, Parnaby, Close, Gulliver, Gavin, Vidmar, Wilkshire, Wilson, Whelan, Marinelli, Johnston. Subs: Smith, Russell, Cade, Storey, Davies (all not used).