Preston North End vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.
Deepdale.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Preston and Middlesbrough at Deepdale as second-half goals from Brad Potts, Scott Sinclair and Emil Riis steer North End to victory on Wednesday night
Wednesday 9 December 2020 22:42, UK
Three goals in the final half hour handed Preston a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship.
The hosts secured only their second home Championship win of the season, and their first at Deepdale against Middlesbrough since 1972, with Brad Potts, Scott Sinclair and Emil Riis all finding the net.
Alex Neil's side began the game purposefully and went close in the eighth minute, as Ryan Ledson curled in a free-kick from the left, but Ben Davies' glancing header drifted off target.
Middlesbrough, like Preston, are also striving hard to get a consistent run going at present, and they struggled to get into a positive rhythm early on.
However, Marvin Johnson fizzed in a superb low cross that only just failed to reach Duncan Watmore.
Preston replied with Potts firing into the side-netting from the corner of the six-yard box before the Lilywhites missed a golden opportunity in the 26th minute.
Jayden Stockley nodded the ball perfectly into the path of the on-rushing Tom Barkhuizen, but the big striker was thwarted by a smart, point-blank stop from Middlesbrough 'keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Both sides were probing, and it was the visitors who were next to threaten when Johnson swung over a low cross which bypassed everyone, and almost crept into the far corner of Declan Rudd's net.
With Neil Warnock's men now in the ascendancy as the interval approached, Watmore glanced a header narrowly over the top as he met Djed Spence's precise cross.
Preston almost handed Middlesbrough the lead in what was the first opportunity of the second half.
Johnson whipped in a teasing low cross from the left, and Preston centre-back Davies almost planted the ball into his own net in his awkward attempt to clear.
Minutes later George Saville was unlucky as his hooked effort, following Britt Assombalonga's deflected shot, was only just off target.
Just past the hour mark Preston finally broke the deadlock, after Barkuizen's long throw-in was not cleared. Andrew Hughes fired in a shot from the edge of the Middlesbrough box, which was smartly diverted past Bettinelli by Potts.
The goal sparked a swift response from Middlesbrough, and after Johnson had forced a fine stop from Rudd, Saville also went close when his left-footed drive only just cleared the crossbar.
The woodwork got in Preston's way with 15 minutes left, as Sinclair headed against the crossbar after Potts' initial angled strike was parried into his path.
That mattered little, however, as Sinclair tucked home Preston's second from an angle after meeting substitute Riis' through-ball.
Riis got himself on the scoresheet two minutes later when he drove a loose ball clinically home from 10 yards, before Boro substitute Marcus Tavernier struck the post with a fierce shot soon after, as the visitors left Lancashire empty-handed.
Preston's Alex Neil: "Our home form hasn't been great - we're all aware of that, it's been well-documented, so therefore I'm really pleased.Keeping a clean sheet is always pleasing too, as we haven't kept enough, and
we haven't scored enough here and we've scored three tonight.
"We knew beforehand what to expect from Middlesbrough. We knew they'd be physical and direct, and that's how it panned out. We were good in the first half and unfortunate not to be in front at half-time, but once we got the first goal that gave us a real lift.
"All of the subs gave us fresh energy, and that was just what we needed, the were probably the catalyst for our victory in the end. Naturally with our home form not being great this season there has been criticism, but hopefully the fans will be much happier after this result and performance tonight."
Middlesbrough's Neil Warnock: "Obviously it's a very disappointing result for us. You just can't concede goals like we did towards the end.
"We had the opportunities, I thought. Early in the second half we dominated, but they got the first goal from a deflection and then it went downhill from there really. They got two more scruffy goals and it was game over. We've got to sit up tomorrow now, take the positives as best we can, and re-group ahead of the Millwall game."
