Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside Stadium as Sam Gallagher scored in victory for Jon Dahl Tomasson's side.
Saturday 15 October 2022 18:31, UK
Managerless Middlesbrough dropped into the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone as their problems continued to mount with a 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn.
Rovers returned to winning ways at the Riverside thanks to an early own goal from Darragh Lenihan and a superb long-range finish from Sam Gallagher. It continued their loss, win sequence stretching back 10 games.
Duncan Watmore gave Middlesbrough hope when he pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, but, with interim manager Leo Percovich watching on from the technical area as he continues to oversee first-team affairs following the dismissal of Chris Wilder, the hosts were unable to avoid a second successive defeat.
Boro's afternoon began badly when they fell behind after just four minutes.
Dominic Hyam was unmarked at the back post as he nodded a cross back across goal and, while Gallagher attempted to bundle home from inside the six-yard box, Lenihan got the final touch to deflect the ball into his own net.
Lenihan left Blackburn to join Middlesbrough on a free transfer in the summer - that was hardly the way he would have wanted to mark his first reunion with his former employers.
Gallagher clearly wanted to claim the goal as he wheeled away in celebration, but the Rovers striker did not have to wait too long for a strike that could not be taken away from him.
There appeared to be little on when he controlled Hyam's long ball in the 17th minute, but, after turning inside Paddy McNair, he rifled a brilliant 20-yard finish past Zack Steffen.
Steffen's goal was under threat for most of the first half and the Boro goalkeeper, who is on loan from Manchester City, produced three excellent saves to keep his side in the game.
He kept out low efforts from Callum Brittain and Gallagher before producing a brilliant point-blank stop to tip Gallagher's close-range header over the crossbar after the striker had perfectly timed his run to meet Tyler Morton's free-kick.
Boro were in danger of going under completely, but the hosts hauled themselves back into the game as they scored on the stroke of half-time.
Jonny Howson released Watmore into the left-hand side of the area and the forward drilled a precise low finish through Thomas Kaminski's legs.
Having given themselves a lifeline, the Teessiders displayed much more urgency and purpose in the second period and substitute Isaiah Jones went close with a long-range effort that Kaminski gathered.
That was a routine save, but Kaminski's next intervention, with 16 minutes remaining, was rather more out of the ordinary.
Lewis Travis' defensive header looped on to the inside of a post, with the rebound falling to Chuba Akpom two yards out.
The Middlesbrough substitute looked certain to score, but Kaminski somehow scrambled across his line to block his close-range effort.
Interim Middlesbrough boss Leo Percovich: "I am in charge today and responsible for everything. I was leading the group today. I will be leading the group for what happens this week and will be preparing the team for Wednesday. We can't just wait to see if the club is going to make a decision, then switch on again. We are all connected and it is my responsibility now to prepare the team for Wednesday. Then we will see what the decision of the club is.
"This is a process of regeneration. We need to keep doing what we are doing, preparing the team for Wednesday, then we will see what is going on.
"It was a very important moment when we went two goals behind. It was going to show whether things are divided or still united. If you are 2-0 down at home, then maybe at another club or with another squad, things would have cracked. But they stuck together to try to figure out the game. They were organised, they scored a goal, and then they dominated in
the second half. We controlled the game after the team reacted, and that was a real positive."
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson: "It was a brilliant performance to get three points at a big club like Middlesbrough, with a very young side. Our first-half performance was excellent, almost every time we attacked, we created chances. We scored two very good goals and I think we should have killed the game. We had two extremely big chances, so credit to the Middlesbrough keeper because it could have been 4-0.
"In the second half we had to show some different things. We showed big character, defending the box, good saves, stopping crosses and playing with your heart. It was two different Rovers performances. The first half was a brilliant level on the ball, the second half was a brilliant level on defending with passion. In that way, I think the boys have done an extremely good job."
