Mixed Fortunes For 'Boro In Busy Week
Middlesbrough endured mixed fortunes to round out a busy week of EFL Championship action, with the Vertu Motors-backed side enjoying a thumping home win before a narrow defeat on the road.
After a disappointing loss to Bristol City, ‘Boro returned to the Riverside to face off against fellow play-off chasers Preston North End and produced a performance to make the home crowd smile – racing into a 3-0 lead before half time.
Two slick finishes from Isaiah Jones either side of a first goal from Rav van den Berg put ‘Boro firmly in control at the break, with Alex Bangura then opening his account for the club in stoppage time to wrap up a biggest home win since the 5-1 thumping of Norwich back in April.
That result moved ‘Boro up into ninth in the table heading to in-form Leeds United, where Emmanuel Latte Lath fired in the opening within three minutes to put Michael Carrick’s side into the lead.
Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville responded before eight minutes were played to put Leeds into the lead and the Yorkshire side added a third when Joel Piroe converted a penalty.
Whilst Latte Lath nodded in his second before the break, the dismissal of Anfernee Dijksteel hampered ‘Boro’s chances of an equaliser although they came close late on when Samuel Silvera hit the post.
That means Middlesbrough slip back to twelfth in the table but just three points off Hull in sixth. The FA Cup draw meanwhile resulted in a third round tie against fellow Championship side Millwall in early January.