Liverpool loanee Ben Doak marks personal landmark with controversial Middlesbrough goal

Liverpool winger Ben Doak netted his first goal in senior football amid controversial circumstances to help Middlesbrough to a 2-0 win over Stoke City on Saturday afternoon. Stoke players were adamant that the 18-year-old was in an offside position when he knocked in from a rebound but the goal stood.

Fellow Liverpool loan star Lewis Koumas conceded a cheap free-kick for the Potters on 34 minutes, from which a quick restart saw Riley McGree’s hopeful effort parried by Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. Doak was on hand to guide the ball home amid grievances from the visitors.

Doak was starting his first game for the hosts, having featured in the club’s previous two Championship matches as a second-half substitute. This is his first loan spell away from Liverpool since joining the Reds from Celtic - where he made two senior appearances - in 2022.

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The Scotland international has 10 senior appearances and four starts for Liverpool, and likely would have more but for a serious knee injury that ended his previous season last December. The attacker has enjoyed happier times in the second half of 2024, having made his senior international debut earlier this month.

Elsewhere on the loan scene, Stefan Bajectic started his second league game for Pep Lijnders’ RB Salzburg against Austria Wien. And Nat Phillips watched from the bench as Derby County were defeated 3-2 by Norwich City amid questions over the legitimacy of the Canaries’ opener, with the ball looking to be out of play in the build-up.