Middlesbrough vs Reading. Sky Bet Championship.
Riverside StadiumAttendance26,823.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Reading at the Riverside Stadium as Chuba Akpom and Aaron Ramsey scored twice each in an emphatic Boro win.
Saturday 4 March 2023 18:22, UK
Middlesbrough's automatic promotion hopes were given a huge lift as they put on a show to thump Reading 5-0 in what was a miserable end to a difficult week for the troubled Royals.
Sky Bet Championship top-scorer Chuba Akpom and Aston Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey both scored twice at the Riverside, with Marcus Forss also on target as Boro won at home for the seventh game in a row and closed the gap to second-placed Sheffield United to four points.
They were always in control against the Royals, who endured a nightmare afternoon just days after discovering they are set to be deducted six points for historical breaches of profit and sustainability rules.
Boro had their momentum halted at West Brom last time out but quickly found their rhythm again.
They controlled the early stages and were rewarded with the breakthrough goal just after the halfway stage of the first half, the opener coming from the penalty spot when Andy Yiadom blocked a Ramsey through ball with his hand.
Akpom made no mistake from the spot, sending Dean Bouzanis the wrong way.
Reading wanted a penalty of their own when Shane Long went down under the challenge of Tommy Smith in the box, but the protests were waved away by Keith Stroud.
As Reading fumed about that decision, Boro broke at speed and wanted a penalty of their own for handball when Cameron Archer's shot was blocked inside the box, but Stroud again ignored the shouts.
Boro thought they had doubled their lead in the 37th minute when Archer steered home a Ryan Giles cross, only for the striker to be flagged offside.
But Ramsey did get a deserved second for the home side in first-half stoppage time, pouncing on an Amadou Mbengue mistake and running half the length of the pitch before keeping his cool and slotting beyond Bouzanis.
Any slim hopes of a Reading comeback completely disappeared as Boro burst out of the blocks after the break and added two more goals within six minutes of the restart.
Akpom scored his second of the afternoon and 21st of the season when he steered home Giles' cross three minutes into the second half. Three minutes later, Giles was at it again, this time teeing up Ramsey to slot home his second.
Boro won a second penalty when Forss was sent tumbling by Tom McIntyre in the 76th minute, with the substitute picking himself up to lash home the fifth from the spot.
Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:
"It [Akpom reaching 20 goals] is a terrific achievement. It's not easy to score that many goals. He's scored all different type of goals for us since I've been here. I thought his performance was fantastic. He gets credit for his goals but his performance all round was terrific. And because we have threats in different areas, he ends up getting a bit more space. To score that many goals, hopefully he can carry on and set a new target for himself.
"It [allowing Forss to take the penalty] is just being a team player, credit to him for that. Not many would have done that, but he understands it's about the squad, all the boys being in a good frame of mind. His first penalty was a good one and it would have been easy for him to grab it but he understands how grateful Marcus was to have a chance to score."
Reading's Paul Ince:
"It was tough afternoon, but it wouldn't have been if the referee had the coolness to make the right decisions. I never like to blame referees but he gives two decisions that change the game. Listen, they are a great team, but I thought we did well in the first 15 minutes to quieten the crowd.
"Then he gives the penalty from two yards when his hands are by his side. But the lads reacted well and we should have a penalty. It's a stonewall, and not only is it a penalty it's a red card. They were diabolical decisions and that left us chasing the game."
