M’boro vs Reading
Sky Bet Ch’ship
3:00pm Saturday 14th September
Riverside Stadium
(Att: 19414)
Middlesbrough celebrated their 500th league match in the Riverside since Marvin Johnson’s second-half strike secured a 1-0 win over Reading in fashion.
Jonathan Woodgate’s side were triumphant again as they maintained their second Sky Bet Championship victory of the season, twenty-four years following the Teessiders started their new life away from Ayresome Park using a 2-0 triumph over Chelsea.
Although Middlesbrough were indebted to goalkeeper Darren Randolph to get three late saves that prevented from claiming an equaliser, exploring, things settled.
Reading boss Jose Gomes chosen to drop striker George Puscas into the seat and he was unable to match his team-mate’s goalscoring hazard while Yakou Meite, the Romanian’s substitute, appreciated a first half.
Having broken early on, Meite’s shot was blocked by Ryan Shotton, along with the Ivory Coast faltered after in the first half, drilling a low shot at Randolph after exploiting any hesitancy from Marc Bola.
Randolph also created a first-half save from John Swift, prior to the rest with Middlesbrough creating opportunities of their own, however it was not one-way traffic.
The best fell to Paddy McNair although the Northern Irishman failed to break in the box in the best, his low shot was directed near Rafael Cabral, together with all the Reading goalkeeper getting down well to save.
It was a day when the two goalkeepers impressed and yet another major intervention was made by Randolph .
Liverpool loanee Evie Ojaria fired in a sharp drive but Randolph emphasized why he is considered among the greatest shot-stoppers beyond the Premier League as he saved to his abandoned.
As 10 minutes Middlesbrough claimed the lead, it established a key second. Michael Morrison fouled Ashley Fletcher close enabling a free-kick to be whipped into by Johnson.
Fletcher lunged at the ball at the box and he unsighted Cabral, who could only watch as the ball nestled in the corner of the internet, while he didn’t make any contact.
Boro claimed a second minutes later but as Lewis Wing because he dribbled past two guys into the box engineered a opportunity, a fine sliding challenge blocked his effort.
Johnson also threatened to extend the home side’s lead because he fired in a shot which Cabral turned around the article, however, Reading came close to an equaliser. Swift’s chipped free-kick was heading in until Randolph steered the ball .
Boro’s goalkeeper was the important figure in the final stages, with two late rescue procuring his side all three factors.
Displaying superb agility, Randolph flipped the front-post header around the post of Lucas Joao before clawing away another goal-bound effort from Liam Moore.
Jonathan Woodgate:”I thought we deserved to win it. We stood solid, although I thought towards the close of the game they piled on the pressure. Like I said in the week , we had to find that that belief steel and that I thought we did that.
“I thought we needed to win the game. I thought we may have been a couple of goals up and looked really dangerous. It was deserved, and I was pleased for the lads, they handed everything.”
Jose Gomes:”Puscas, Joao and Pele didn’t start. Puscas and pele had travelled for their team, but that wasn’t the reason. The reason was that I did not enjoy the manner that they played at the previous game.
“I have six strikers, they’re all good players, and they must all fight for their own position. They need to give what they have inside them, and it’s my obligation as their manager to demand that. If they don’t offer the maximum that they can, in my opinion, then we’ve got quite good high quality players that may replace them and play.”
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