Huddersfield 4-2 Middlesbrough: Terriers bounce back to damage Boro's promotion hopes

Matty Pearson scored twice as relegation-threatened Huddersfield came from behind to stun automatic promotion chasers Middlesbrough 4-2 in the Championship.

Five of the goals came in a thrilling second period as Town recovered from a half-time deficit to shock Michael Carrick's third-placed team.

A second successive win could not lift the third-bottom Terriers out of the drop zone, but victory was sweet for veteran manager Neil Warnock against the club that sacked him in November 2021.

Boro, beaten for only the second time in 11 outings, were good value for a first-half lead given to them by Finn Marcus Forss.

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But three home goals in 11 minutes at the start of the second period transformed the contest.

Josh Ruffels fired Town level and Josh Koroma put them in front before Pearson's double after 56 and 66 minutes sealed a sensational win.

Championship top-scorer Chuba Akpom reduced his team's arrears with his 26th goal of the campaign, but Huddersfield comfortably saw out the game and almost netted a fifth late on through Jack Rudoni.

At start of play only Cardiff had scored fewer goals than Town in the second tier this season, but the home side were only a goal-line clearance away from a fourth-minute lead.

Michal Helik did well to steer a back-post cross into the path of Koroma, whose low shot was hacked clear by Darragh Lenihan.

But it was a rare threat on the visitors' goal as Boro's possession-based approach created the greater share of opportunities.

In form Akpom headed wide after Paddy McNair's shot was blocked for a corner, while Aaron Ramsey's 23rd minute attempt was saved by Tomas Vaclik.

Cameron Archer then volleyed over and Ramsey fired wide before Boro made the deserved breakthrough.

Ramsey's exquisite pass sent Archer racing up to the area and, while the latter's pass eluded Akpom, it fell for Forss to sweep in his 10th goal of the campaign.

Having been outplayed for most of the opening period, the Terriers were level 22 seconds after the restart.

There seemed little threat when left-back Ruffels collected the ball midway inside the Boro half. However, he weaved his way past three players before curling a left-footed shot beyond Zack Steffen.

The home cheers had only just subsided when Koroma curled in his seventh goal of the season after 54 minutes.

Boro's defence was now at sixes and sevens, so when Helik headed across goal Pearson's knee turned the ball in from close range.

And Pearson then bundled in Danny Ward's shot as Town scored four times in a game for the first time this season.

Akpom headed in Riley McGree's cross after 74 minutes, but Boro finished well beaten.

The managers

Huddersfield's Neil Warnock:

"It was an important match. I'd cut a lot out of what we show about the opponents because there wasn't a lot of bad stuff to show them. We had a scout at the Preston game and they could have got 10. We just showed where we thought they could get something from it and we've come up trumps. We thought Matty Pearson could do a bit in there and we wanted him in and around there. A striker would have been proud to be there.

"It's just belief really. If I could bottle it I'd be a multi-millionaire. Josh Koroma told me he couldn't get in before I got here, now his agent will be phoning me up thanking me. It's great to see the fans go home happy. It's a great club, a family oriented club - as Middlesbrough is. I'd love them to go up now."

Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:

"I thought in the first half it was pretty much what we expected, tough team to break down man to man all over the pitch. It's not easy to break down but we were patient, they can frustrate you but we were patient and I was pretty happy with the way things were going. We still wanted more and we came out hoping for more.

"Sometimes you get it in football where you can't really rationalise a little burst in the game and three moments in 10 minutes kind of, it is what it is, then you're chasing the game after that. It's disappointing. I can't fault the effort and attitude but moments cost us."

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