Hayden Hackney scores again to help Middlesbrough to an impressive win at West Brom
Hayden Hackney made it two goals in two games as Middlesbrough carried on their momentum from the weekend to beat league leaders West Brom at the Hawthorns.
In a tight game between two promotion contenders, Hackney's second half strike divided the two sides as Boro won a second consecutive Championship game for the first time this season. Hackney's strike was the first goal the Baggies had conceded on home turf all season and was enough to claim a big three points.
Michael Carrick made one change from the side that beat Stoke City at the weekend. After returning from the bench in that one, Rav van den Berg was fit enough to start at the Hawthorns, with Anfernee Dijksteel dropping out. There was another injury boost on the bench too as Marcus Forss was named in a squad for the first time this season, though Matt Clarke and Tommy Conway both missed out again.
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The game was barely five minutes old when a rather unusual stoppage caused a lengthy pause. One of the linesman took ill on the touchline, and with play halted, he was given medical assistance before being stretchered away while respondent. Neither side had really built much momentum by the stage of the stoppage and, on what was a cold evening in the Black Country, both sides seemed unaffected by it.
Though Boro took a little time to resettle, they eventually grew into the game and will feel frustrated they didn't have the lead by the half-hour mark. Emmanuel Latte Lath was unlucky not to bag his first since the opening day of the season when his header from a deep Luke Ayling cross was just about turned around the post by Alex Palmer.
Five minutes before that, however, Riley McGree really ought to have put Carrick's side ahead. A venomous Finn Azaz effort from an angle rebounded kindly to him and all he had to do was hit the target. His effort was sliced high and wide another golden opportunity went begging for Boro this season.
Azaz would later go close with one curled just wide of the far post but it was the hosts who ended the first half stronger as they began to find success on the counter. Catching Boro out a couple of times, Jed Wallace will feel he should have had a brace by the interval.
He hit his first effort from inside the penalty area straight at Seny Dieng, before sending his second effort wide of the far post. Hayden Hackney had to be on hand to make an importantly-timed last-man tackle on Karlan Grant too, as his own poor ball after a Boro corner saw the Baggies almost away.
The second half started in much the same way as the first half ended. Boro were trying to make use of the ball to break down a stubborn West Brom defence that was yet to concede a goal at the Hawthorns this season. Let down by their final ball, it presented opportunities on the transition to the home side, but their final ball was letting them down too.
It said a lot that we had to wait until the 61st minute for the first effort of the second half for either side. It was Boro's opportunity, with Ayling making a near-post run and flicking Azaz's header just wide. Boro were starting to grow into the half though and had two excellent opportunities five minutes later.
The first saw Hayden Hackney play the lively-again Ben Doak in behind with a ball over the top. Doak's first touch was excellent to get inside of the full-back, but Palmer was out well to cover the angles and make the block. From the resulting corner, Latte Lath headed wide after another good leap.
Boro's growing momentum would pay dividends in the 73rd minute. Doak again the man to unlock the door - this time rather than his dribbling ability, he picked an excellent infield pass for McGree who turned on the edge and teed up Hackney. He delicately placed a low effort from the edge of the D into the bottom corner to put Boro ahead.
As the clock ticked on, Boro were pushed further and further back in the closing stages as the home side pushed for a late equaliser. Championship top scorer Josh Maja went closest when he got ahead of Dieng at the near post to try and divert a cross goalwards with the Boro keeper committed. Thankfully for the Senegal international, Maja's touch wasn't enough to steer it on target.
Boro held firm though and could have even finished the game in a comfortable position when substitute Delano Burgzorg fired wide from a counter. That he didn't score made for a nervous five minutes of added time but Carrick's side got over the line to claim their first successive wins of the season. This a big one against the previous league leaders too.