Jamie Ward had put the hosts in front from the spot in the first half after he had been felled by Nicky Bailey in the area.
Following a rather subdued first-half performance, Boro fought back in the second period and after Seb Hines had equalised, Merouane Zemmama grabbed a late winner.
"I think it's called winning ugly. Two anxious teams, it wasn't a game of football - it was a bit of a war, bit of a scrap," said Mowbray. "The first half was obviously very, very disappointing from our aspect and yet they found the answer in the second half - again not by any great play but desire and drive and I think with the help of the crowd, asked more questions of them and we won the game late on.
"It wasn't a great performance, it wasn't a free-flowing football match, and yet on nights when we've played a lot better than that, we've probably lost or drawn football matches so like I said, it's winning ugly.
"Not on purpose of course, but that's the way the game panned out and we have to accept it and take it. It makes a change for us but we'll take it."
Source: PA
Source: PA