David Wagner bemoaned his side’s sloppy defending as Huddersfield Town slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship yesterday.

The Huddersfield head coach accused his side of gifting victory to the promotion chasers, who are now just a point behind league-leaders Burnley.

Middlesbrough opened the scoring after Gaston Ramirez was fouled in the box by Joel Lynch and Grant Leadbitter made no mistake from the spot in the 32nd minute.

From the kick-off Ramirez collected a loose ball, rounded Jed Steer, the Huddersfield goalkeeper, and netted from a tight angle.

The Uruguayan’s curled free kick from 25 yards with 13 minutes left rounded off a fine performance from the home side.

“The goals we conceded were too easy. Each of them were presents,” Wagner said. “We lost the ball too easily and were not able to keep it as long as we usually do.

“If you like to get a result against such a good team as Middlesbrough at this stage of the season — when they are very focused — then you have to make nearly everything right.”

Huddersfield, who are eighteenth and eight points above the relegation zone, enjoyed the majority of the early possession but the home side looked dangerous on the counter-attack as Ramirez set Jordan Rhodes free, only for the striker’s shot to be tamely deflected into Steer’s arms.

And an exquisite turn in the box from the loanee midfielder outfoxed defender Lynch, to gift Middlesbrough the simplest of opening goals.

Having failed to score in his five matches for Southampton this season prior to his move to the Riverside, Ramirez netted his fifth and sixth goals in a Middlesbrough shirt, with two goals of Premier League quality.

“Gaston Ramirez was the player who changed everything,” Aitor Karanka, the Middlesbrough manager, said.

“For the first 25 minutes we looked as if we were playing for nothing. He was the difference between Huddersfield and us.

“I think it was his best game for us. He scored, he worked and he came up with an assist for the penalty, the things we expected when he came here.”

Victory sees second-placed Middlesbrough secure three consecutive wins for the first time since December and they also have a game in hand on Burnley with seven matches left to play.