Middlesbrough 1-0 Reading: Marvin Johnson earns win for Boro

M’boro vs Reading
Sky Bet Ch’ship
3:00pm Saturday 14th September

Riverside Stadium
(Att: 19414)

Middlesbrough celebrated their league match in style in the Riverside as Marvin Johnson’s second-half strike.
Jonathan Woodgate’s side were triumphant again as they claimed their second Sky Bet Championship victory of the season, twenty-four years following the Teessiders started their new life away from Ayresome Park using a 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Although Middlesbrough were indebted to goalkeeper Darren Randolph to get several late saves that prevented from asserting an equaliser, Reading things settled.
Reading boss Jose Gomes surprisingly chosen to drop striker George Puscas into the seat and he was not able to coincide with his team-mate’s goalscoring threat while Yakou Meite, the Romanian’s replacement, appreciated a first half.
Having broken early on, Ryan Shotton blocked Meite’s shot, along with the Ivory Coast faltered after in the first halfdrilling a low shot in Randolph after exploiting some hesitancy from Marc Bola.
Randolph made a first-half save from John Swift, prior to the fracture with Middlesbrough creating chances of their own but it wasn’t one-way traffic.
The best fell to Paddy McNair but while the Northern Irishman failed to break into the box from the best, his low shot was directed near Rafael Cabral, together with all the Reading goalkeeper getting down well to save.
It was a day after the two goalkeepers impressed and Randolph made yet another intervention that is major at the beginning of the second half.
Liverpool loanee Evie Ojaria fired in a drive but Randolph highlighted why he is considered among the greatest shot-stoppers outside of their Premier League as he rescued to his abandoned.
It proved a second as 10 minutes Middlesbrough claimed the lead. Michael Morrison fouled Ashley Fletcher close allowing a free-kick to be whipped in by Johnson.
Fletcher lunged at the ball and he unsighted Cabral, who could only watch on as the ball stuck in the corner of the internet while he didn’t make any contact.
Boro nearly claimed a second moments later but since Lewis Wing as he dribbled past two guys to the box, engineered a shooting chance, a nice blocked his first effort.
Reading came close to an equaliser, although because he fired in a shot which Cabral turned around the article johnson threatened to expand the home side’s lead. Swift was heading in till the ball was steered by Randolph .
Boro’s goalkeeper has been the crucial figure in the closing stages, with two late rescue securing his side all three factors.
Before siphoned another campaign from Liam 23, displaying agility, Randolph switched Lucas Joao’s front-post header around the post.
Jonathan Woodgate:”I thought we needed to win it. We stood strong, although I thought in the direction of the close of the match they piled the pressure on. We had to discover that steel that belief and I thought we did this like I mentioned in the week.
“I thought we deserved to win the match. I thought we all may have been a few goals up and looked really dangerous about the counter-attack occasionally. It was well deserved, and I was so pleased for the lads, they handed me everything.”
Jose Gomes:”Puscas, Joao and Pele didn’t start. Pele and Puscas had travelled for their team, but that was not the reason. The reason was I did not enjoy the manner that they played at the game.
“I have six strikers, they are all fantastic players, and they should all fight for their position. They have to give and it’s my duty as their manager. When they do not give the maximum they can, in my estimation, then we’ve got quite superior quality players who may replace them play.”