The visitors levelled just seconds into the second half when Matt Crooks found the run of Marcus Forss, who smashed a superb shot across goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski into the far corner.

Moments later Rovers midfielder Buckley was sent off for throwing the ball at Riley McGree's head, and the Australian soon took full advantage with a superb volleyed winner into the top corner.

Boro sat in 21st place when Michael Carrick took over on 24 October, but a sixth win in his nine matches in charge has taken them to a play-off spot in sixth and within three points of third-placed Blackburn.

In contrast, a fourth defeat in five league matches leaves Rovers 11 points adrift of leaders Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United.

It all went wrong for Rovers in a nightmare 11 minutes after the restart which saw them ship goals either side of Buckley's straight red card, with McGree taking revenge on Buckley's petulance with a fine winner.

However, the momentum had begun to swing Boro's way soon after Hedges had given Rovers a flying start, with Chuba Akpom sending a close-range diving header just wide from a teasing Forss cross.

Rovers threatened on the break, and Sam Gallagher sliced wide from another Buckley ball over the top, but the visitors almost levelled moments before the break when Hayden Hackney's deflected 25-yard strike crashed against the crossbar.

Ben Brereton Diaz, making his 100th league start for Rovers, forced Boro keeper Zack Steffen into a save with a free-kick as the hosts looked to respond with 10 men, but Carrick's men ran out deserved winners.

Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I think it was a disappointing result to lose this game.

"We started the first half playing some excellent football, we created chances, played with intensity and probably should have been up by more than one goal.

"We spoke about it at half-time that we needed to start well but the first 10 minutes of the second half changed the game.

On the sending off: "John (Buckley) is a young lad, inexperienced and he gave the referee a decision to make so he needs to learn from that."

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:

"We came here believing we could win and to come away with all three points however you get them is very pleasing.

"All my staff told me their goal was offside so I'll take their word for it but we couldn't change that and the boys were frustrated at half-time.

"We tweaked somethings at half-time and got our reward straight away which gave the lads a real boost.

"I haven't seen the sending off but I take it that he threw a ball in the face so if he's done that, whether it's deliberate or not, then the referee's got a decision to make."