Battling Bristol City earned a precious point in their fight for npower Championship survival at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon.
Hogan Ephraim marked his debut with a goal after 13 minutes to put the Robins in front and they had further chances to extend their lead.
But just as he did when scoring a spectacular late winner at Ashton Gate in December, substitute Malaury Martin scored from range 11 minutes into the second half to pull Middlesbrough level and keep their play-off ambitions alive.
For the second successive game, City finished with 10 men after left-back Ryan McGivern was shown a straight red card by referee Colin Webster for bringing down Boro striker Lukas Jutkiewicz 13 minutes from the end.
City's second away point of 2012 keeps them clear of the bottom three, but only just. Elsewhere, Coventry beat basement club Portsmouth at the Ricoh Arena to move to within a point of the Robins.
Desperate to arrest a slide in which City had won just once in five games, manager Derek McInnes announced five changes to the side beaten 2-0 at home by Watford four days earlier.
He handed debuts to Ephraim and Andre Amougou, signed on loan from Queens Park Rangers and Burnley respectively, and recalled goalkeeper Dean Gerken, left-back Ryan McGivern and midfield schemer Neil Kilkenny to the starting line-up.
Few gave the Robins a chance against opponents challenging for the play-offs and there was asense City had nothing to lose at the Riverside.
Certainly, the visitors played without inhibition during the opening exchanges and they should have led after just three minutes. Albert Adomah set-up Stephen Pearson inside the 18 yard box, only for the Scot to delay his shot and eventually see it blocked by Matthew Bates.
Moments later, new-boy Ephraim was narrowly off target with a curling free kick that flew just inches wide with Boro keeper Luke Steele rooted to the spot.
At the other end of the pitch, Boro striker Lukas Jutkiewicz was making his presence felt, sending a shot wide and then finding Merouanne Zemmama with a pass that required Amougou to make a forceful intervention.
City looked the more threatening of the two sides, however, and they went ahead on 13 minutes. Jon Stead found Pearson in an advanced position and his through ball was seized upon by Ephraim, who clipped an angled shot beyond Steele and just inside the far post to register his first goal in City colours.
Boro fans have become accustomed to seeing their team slip-up at home this season, the Teesside outfit having drawn eight and won just four of their 19 games at the Riverside.
Desperately in need of points to remain in the play-off places, Tony Mowbray's team huffed and puffed in the final third and had only long-range efforts from Nicky Bailey and Adam Hammill to show for their efforts in the opening half.
Organised and hard-working, City deserved credit for restricting Boro to a mere handful of chances, Louis Carey and debutant Amougo showing up well at the heart of the back four.
City should have extended their lead shortly before half-time, Ephraim threading the ball into the path of Pearson, who lent back and sent his shot high from 12 yards out with the goal at his mercy.
Opportunity came knocking once more for the visitors early in the second half when Stead was sent clean through by a long pass out of defence. But the striker sent his shot over from the edge of the box with Ephraim better-placed and screaming for the ball.
Stead was causing plenty of problems for the home defence and Steele saved his snap-shot at the second attempt as the Robins continued to press.
How City must have regretted their profligacy when Boro levelled matters in the 56th minute. A half-time replacement for Nicky Bailey, substitute Martin was allowed to advance to the edge of the penalty area and beat Gerken with an unstoppable drive that made the roof of the net bulge and brought a hitherto passive home crowd to life.
Boro were now forcing the issue and Gerken fully justified his call-up by thrusting out a hand to pull off an instinctive save and somehow divert a close-range header from striker Bart Ogbeche.
The striker then missed a golden opportunity to put the home team in front, firing high and wide from 10 yards out.
City's chances of pulling off a first away win since December 30 received a blow 15 minutes from time, McGivern hauling back Jutkiewicz and being shown a straight red card by referee Webster. In fairness to the referee, McGivern was the last man and did deny the burly striker a goal-scoring opportunity.
Robins boss McInnes took off Hogan Ephraim and sent on Joe Edwards at right-back, allowing Richard Foster to fill in on the left side of the back four.
With both sides going for the win, it was City who came closest to scoring, Stead checking back inside onto his left foot and curling a shot agonisingly wide of the far post.
Boro: Steele; Hoyte (McMahon 78), Bates, Hines, Bennett; Zemmama (Emnes 83), Bailey (Martin 46), Thomson, Hammill; Ogbeche, Jutkiewicz.
City (4-4-1-1): Gerken; Foster, Carey, Amougou, McGivern; Adomah, Cisse, Kilkenny (Keinan 90 mins), Pearson; Ephraim (Edwards 78); Stead (Wood 90).
Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear)
Attendance: 15,275
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