Alan Browne, who made more than 400 appearance in a decade for North End from 2014-2024, returned to haunt his former club by putting Boro ahead, while Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker exploited defensive lapses to put Boro three up at half-time.

Jordan Storey was red-carded shortly after the resumption and Conway rounded off the scoring to give second-placed Middlesbrough a 4-0 win – their fourth in a row in the league that leaves them breathing down the neck of Frank Lampard’s Coventry, who travel to struggling Norwich on Monday.

Play-off chasing Preston, meanwhile, slipped to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions and face questions over their backline after conceding seven goals in their last two matches.

They started brightly on Teesside and saw appeals for a penalty turned down when Matt Targett intercepted Storey’s header with his upper torso, but they flatlined after Middlesbrough took a ninth-minute lead.

Targett’s teasing cross over the top saw Browne shrug off Jamal Lewis, who fell to the floor, and the on-loan Sunderland midfielder excellently controlled the ball with his right foot before finishing coolly with his left.

Browne missed the chance to double his and Middlesbrough’s tally by curling wide of Jack Walton’s far post, but Preston were caught on their heels again in the 28th minute, which was fully exploited by Conway.

A speculative curling pass forward from Luke Ayling was latched on to by Conway, who had left Storey and Odel Offiah trailing in his wake, before sending the ball through Walton’s legs and into the net.

Preston were reeling and worse was to follow as Walton rolled the ball to Lewis Gibson on the edge of the box but he was dispossessed by Whittaker, who lashed home his 11th goal of the season after 42 minutes.

Any hope of a second-half comeback evaporated five minutes after the restart when Storey was sent off for hauling down Conway, having dithered on the ball, denying the frontman from going through on goal.

Conway would not be denied in the 54th minute as he reacted quickest to Hayden Hackney’s free-kick being saved by Walton to score the rebound as Preston threatened to completely unravel.

They held firm for more than half an hour but failed to test Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn. Preston have now gone 380 minutes since their last goal and will almost certainly end the weekend outside the top-six.