Middlesbrough 2 Litex Lovech 0: European nights are supposed to be synonymous with glamour and glory but too many Middlesbrough fans equate them with boredom. With Steve McClaren's side and the Bulgarians already qualified for the competition's knockout phase, this was a particularly dull example of the genre.

Less than 9,000 stalwarts turned up to witness an evening enlivened only by Adam Johnson's left-wing play and two late goals from Massimo Maccarone.

Not that McClaren would be disappointed by a performance which left Boro top of the group and thus able to avoid a side dropping out of the Champions League in today's draw for the last 32.

In the first minute Johnson's low cross almost created a goal for Maccarone, who proved unable to convert the opening. Opting to take the next chance himself, Johnson cut inside to test Vitomir Vutov with an angled shot.

Liteks began to get the measure of McClaren's youngsters, and Brad Jones was forced into a couple of nervy punched clearances.

Vutov could muster no answer to Maccarone's 80th minute diving far-post header as the impasse was broken. Boro's opener was conjured by a piece of trickery from Johnson, who slalomed past a couple of markers before his cross permitted the Italian to provide the finishing touch. Maccarone suddenly remembered he was once, albeit briefly, a senior Italy international and duly claimed a stunning second with a left-foot shot.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Jones, Bates, Ehiogu, Riggott, Queudrue, Morrison, Doriva, Kennedy, Johnson, Hasselbaink (Cattermole 83), Maccarone. Subs not used: Schwarzer, Southgate, Boateng, Yakubu, Wheater, Viduka. Booked: Cattermole. Goals: Maccarone 80, 86.

LITEKS LOVETCH: Vutov, Berberovic, Cichero, Caillet, Venkov, Palankov (Kirilov 77), Jelenkovic, Genchev, Sandrinho (Hazurov 87), Zlatinov (Lyubenov 74), Novakovic. Subs not used: Todorov, Zhelev, Manolev, Zanev. Booked: Venkov, Berberovic.

Referee: Serge Gumienny (Belgium).