FULL TIME: Middlesbrough 3 Leeds United 0: Fragile Whites slammed by Bamford treble

Bamford tucked away a Downing cross with worrying ease in the 31st minute and then doubled his tally just five minutes later after the dangerous Adama Traore raced through the Whites midfield before teeing up Bamford to slam the ball through Felix Wiedwald's legs.

Bamford then completed a swift hat-trick in the 69th minute when a low shot from Traore was diverted into his path by Pontus Jansson, allowing the striker to blast home from close range.

Boro threatened in the fifth minute through a right wing cross from Ryan Shotton which narrowly failed to pick out Stewart Downing at the far post.

The hosts created an even better chance five minutes later as Boro worked the ball to Bamford in the box but Whites 'keeper Wiedwald denied the striker's shot from a tight angle with his legs.

Leeds then squandered a decent opportunity on the counter attack four minutes later when Gjanni Alioski eventually worked the ball to Samu Saiz who blasted an effort just over from the edge of the box.

But Boro then wasted another chance in the 20th minute when Ben Gibson headed wide from a Downing corner before Leeds appeared to have valid claims for a penalty ignored three minutes later when Pontus Jansson headed wide from a Stuart Dallas corner whilst being pulled down by Daniel Ayala.

Ayala then put an overhead kick well wide at the other end but a Boro goal looked imminent and it arrived in the 31st minute when Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson failed to deal with a cross from Downing which Bamford stroked into the bottom corner from inside the box.

Leeds then wasted a free-kick on the edge of the Boro box after Grant Leadbitter fouled Saiz as Alioski's effort hit the wall and just two minutes later Boro countered to double their lead.

The pacy Traore again caused United havoc by tearing his way through the middle of the park before playing in Bamford whose low shot nestled into the net by going through Wiedwald's legs.

It then could and should have been worse for Leeds with Gibson putting another free header wide on the stroke of half-time from a Downing corner.

Whites head coach Paul Heckingbottom hauled off Alioski and Kalvin Phillips during the interval as Adam Forshaw and Ronaldo Vieira were brought on but Boro were soon back on the attack with a George Friend cross fizzing across the Whites box.

From two Leeds attacks, Jansson then put a header over the bar from a Dallas corner before a shot from Saiz from the edge of the area was also deflected over.

But United's defence remained at sixes and sevens and Wiedwald spilled a long throw from Shotton presenting a chance for Bamford who wasted the opportunity to bag a hat-trick by firing wide.

But after United's Pierre-Michel Lasogga ballooned a volley over the bar, Bamford's third goal of the night then arrived ten minutes later when a low drive from Traore was diverted by Jansson into the path of the striker who blasted home from close range despite looking offside.

Leeds were falling to bits and Friend should have made it 4-0 three minutes later when firing wide after a cross from Traore who had skinned Anita.

Ayala then put another decent headed opportunity wide shortly after but the damage had long been done as United slipped to another defeat to lose further ground on the top six.

Middlesbrough: Randolph, Shotton, Gibson, Ayala, Friend, Besic, Leadbitter, Traore, Howson, Downing, Bamford (Cranie 90). Subs not used: Dimi, Fry, Clayton, Baker, Harrison, Assombalonga.

Leeds United: Wiedwald, Anita, Cooper (c), Jansson, Berardi, O'Kane (Ekuban 69), Phillips (Forshaw 45), Alioski (Vieira 45), Dallas, Saiz, Lasogga. Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Pennington, De Bock, Sacko.

Referee: Darren England.

Attendance: 27,621 (2,987 Leeds).