Middlesbrough find themselves in the relegation as Blackburn produced one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Championship. At the Riverside, Darragh Lenihan’s early own goal and Sam Gallagher’s outstanding long-range shot helped Rovers get back on top. It continued a 10-game losing and winning streak. After Chris Wilder was fired, interim manager Leo Percovich continued to oversee first-team matters while watching from the technical area. Despite Duncan Watmore’s goal just before halftime, Middlesbrough was unable to escape suffering a second straight loss.
The afternoon for Boro got off to a horrible start when they fell behind after only four minutes. When Gallagher attempted to head the ball home from inside the six-yard box, Dominic Hyam, who was unmarked at the back post, nodded a cross back across the goal and Lenihan got the last touch to deflect the ball into his own net. Lenihan departed Blackburn for Middlesbrough in the summer on a free transfer; this was not the way he had hoped to commemorate his first meeting with his old club.
Gallagher wheeled away in celebration, obviously wanting to claim the goal, but the Rovers striker did not have to wait long for a goal that was unassailable. In the 17th minute, he controlled Hyam’s long ball, but there didn’t seem to be much going on when he turned inside Paddy McNair and rifled a fantastic 20-yard strike past Zack Steffen.
The Teessiders showed considerably more energy and purpose in the second period after giving themselves a lifeline, and substitute Isaiah Jones came near with a long-range attempt that Kaminski saved. That was a straightforward save, but Kaminski’s subsequent action with 16 minutes left was a little bit unusual. Chuba Akpom received the rebound as Lewis Travis’ defensive header went onto the inside of a post from two yards out. The Middlesbrough substitute appeared to be on the verge of scoring, but Kaminski somehow managed to scurry over his line and stop him.
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