Boro back in business as Rovers woes continue
Middlesbrough moved back into the promotion play-off picture in the EFL Championship as Blackburn Rovers was booed off the Ewood Park pitch after a 2-0 defeat to its visitor.
Tommy Conway put Boro ahead within the first two minutes, and Samuel Iling-Junior doubled the lead before even 10 minutes had been played.
Boro's dominance continued throughout the first period without adding to the scoreline and while Rovers were slightly improved in the second half, they were lucky not to concede more as Michael Carrick's visitors laid siege to their goal for large portions of a one-sided contest.
Rovers' challenge for a play-off spot now appears to be over as it sits in 11th place, with boss Valerien Ismael unable to continue to good start to the season former manager John Eustace had built before his shock move to Derby County.
For Boro, though, the picture is much more positive as it sits in fifth place on the table with 60 points ahead of the weekend's other fixtures.
Whether it stays there will depend on other results, though, with sixth-placed Coventry City only a point behind and West Bromwich Albion three points behind in seventh place.
However, Frank Lampard's Sky Blues face a tough challenge when they host third-placed Burnley and the Baggies host fourth-placed Sunderland, so neither team is guaranteed the result it needs to push Middlesbrough back out of the top six.
Middlesbrough last competed in the Premier League in 2016-2017, with a real possibility of returning to the top flight this season after a string of impressive results.
Carrick, however, was quick to temper any lofty expectations, saying he will continue to take Boro's remaining league fixtures one game at a time.
"Let's not get too carried away, there is a lot to go. I've seen it before. I'm old enough and ugly enough to know what the end of this season brings," Carrick said.
"Tonight was a good win for us and we've got another big game on Tuesday night.
"We'll take each game as it comes and we're in a good place."
For Blackburn, meanwhile, its slump down the table continued, with the Rovers supporters making their feelings known to the club's hierarchy throughout the game.
The opening stages proved to be tough viewing for Blackburn chief executive Steve Waggott, chief operating officer Suhail Pasha and head of football operations Rudy Gestede.
The trio was in the stands despite fan groups urging it not to attend the remainder of Rovers' home games this season.
Blackburn has now lost five games in a row for the first time since February 2021 under Tony Mowbray, although Ismael believes that luck is simply not on its side.
"We want to start the game well and it puts you in a difficult situation [conceding after 74 seconds]. We can avoid the goal. We lost two important duels," Ismael said.
"The second goal shows the situation at the minute, deflecting into our own goal.
"I think at the end of the first half and completely in the second half is how we wanted to start the game with more belief, desire, focus on ourselves.
"The performance was there, you just need to stay at 0-0 for as long as possible and at some point to make a chance.
"We had a good chance in the second half to score but we don't have the luck at the minute.
"The first mistake you make or the opponent's first shot goes in the goal, so it's difficult."
