Russell Slade:
"For about the first time this season we've had fortune with the goal.
"They'll be disappointed with it because it's taken a deflection off their defender after the 'keeper's tried to clear his lines,
"I actually said to the staff before the game that we've not had a lot of fortune - a ricochet, a penalty, something like that.
"Every single penalty claim we've had this season the assessor has agreed with, so it's not like I've been whingeing about it.
"You hope things even out in a season and hopefully that was the start, because it's fine lines sometimes."
Cardiff have now gone four games unbeaten to move within a point of the play-off positions.
"It was a tight affair, they don't concede many goals and we knew they were going to be a difficult unit to break down," Slade said.
"It was a question of staying disciplined and focused the entire 90 minutes, and that's what we did.
"It was three points against a very good side who we know are going to be up there.
"They were always going to be a yardstick for us, so to take three points off one of our rivals is vitally important."
Middlesbrough have now gone three games without scoring, their worst run in front of goal since March 2014.
And manager Aitor Karanka admits he is a loss to explain that after his side were so prolific in the opening two months of the season.
"It's difficult to understand when we have good players up front," Karanka said.
"The way we were scoring at the beginning of the season I'm sure we will score again.
"When you have players like we have on the pitch you always think you will score.
"But to go three games without scoring shows something is wrong.
"It is not normal with our players. so I have to study and work on it for us to score again."
