Blackburn Rovers vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.
Ewood ParkAttendance18,128.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough at Ewood Park as Marcus Forss and Riley McGree scored either side of John Buckley's red card to earn Boro victory.
Thursday 29 December 2022 23:34, UK
Middlesbrough moved into the play-off places for the first time this season after coming from behind to defeat 10-man Blackburn 2-1 at Ewood Park.
In an even first half, Rovers went ahead thanks to a cool Ryan Hedges finish in the sixth minute, vindicating Blackburn's ploy of targeting the visitors' high line.
But the game was turned on its head early in the second half when Boro equalised within a minute of the restart through Marcus Forss' powerful shot before John Buckley was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball incident four minutes later.
Boro made their numerical advantage count within six minutes as Riley McGree's stunning volley completed the comeback.
Michael Carrick's fine start to management continues and the former Manchester United midfielder's team have won five of their last six.
Blackburn remain third in the league but Boro are only three points behind them and after losing five of their last seven, Rovers will be looking nervously over their shoulder.
Rovers were unchanged from defeat at Sunderland, while Carrick drafted in Matt Crooks and McGree.
Crooks stung the palms of Thomas Kaminski from a tight angle early on as the keeper acrobatically denied the visitors, and Rovers hit the front when Buckley sprang Boro's offside trap and set Hedges clear. He steadied himself before confidently slotting into the bottom right corner.
Chuba Akpom sent a free header wide from close range, while Blackburn effectively utilised a long pass again, with Tyler Morton finding Sam Gallagher, who fired well wide.
Hayden Hackney rattled the crossbar just before the break but from the resulting corner, Rovers broke at speed only for Gallagher to pass up a wonderful opportunity when he headed tamely at Zack Steffen.
Boro equalised within 30 seconds of the restart as Crooks' perfectly weighted ball found the onrushing Forss on the right and even though the angle was tight, the Finnish forward's shot was ferocious and burst through Kaminski.
Blackburn suffered another major setback in the 50th minute when Buckley saw red for a bizarre incident where he appeared to bounce the ball off the head of McGree.
And the hosts' misery was compounded when a super move from Boro saw Hackney's cross-field ball headed across the box by Forss into the path of McGree who found the top corner with a sumptuous volley from 15 yards.
Ben Brereton Diaz saw a controlled free-kick well saved as Rovers rallied, but Kaminski had to save brilliantly to prevent Crooks adding an injury-time third.
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson: "John is a young lad, inexperienced. He showed inexperience and gave the referee a decision to make so he has to learn from that. We all know football is about passion and emotion and he's a young lad and he showed he was inexperienced in that situation. But I will have a chat with John. It was a disappointing result to lose this game. I think if you look back at the whole 90 minutes, I thought we started well.
"First half, we played some excellent football, created chances, should have been up by more than one goal, played with intensity and we were creative. We spoke at half-time that we should start well, but I think the first 10 minutes of the second half changed the game. Even with 10 men, we were able to create opportunities and were in the game for the whole 90 minutes. So it's a frustrating night."
Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick: "A fabulous goal, I thought, all round. I thought Hayden's (Hackney) pass to Marcus to open it up, a great header from Marcus and a terrific volley. He's getting used to those volleys, Riley. I'm pleased for him. I thought he did well tonight again and looked dangerous. Goals obviously help that confidence and little extra spring in his step.
"He didn't start on Boxing Day (against Wigan) but he was fantastic, he didn't bat an eyelid, he understood, came on and he did really well. Again, that is part of the spirit I'm talking about. He got his rewards tonight. Going a goal down, I thought the boys stuck at it really well, stuck together, believed in it, kept trying to do the right things, even though it wasn't simple, straightforward and didn't come easy. I was pleased with that and in the end I thought we got what we deserved."
