Aidan Morris scored a brilliant team goal as Middlesbrough dominated Bolton Wanderers to move to the top of the Championship standings.
Bolton 1-5 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough put on a show at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, coming away with a resounding win.
Aidan Morris went the distance for Boro as he made four key passes, took two shots, and made six defensive contributions. Sebastian Berhalter played 86 minutes to make four key passes and two shots. Max Arfsten came off the bench to play the final 21 minutes.
The visitors opened the scoring after 13 minutes with fine passing from their end of the field, leaving Amario Cozier-Duberry to deliver a low cross for Morris to tap the ball home from inside the six-yard box. Will Lankshear doubled their lead in the 31st minute with another team-driven play that allowed the English striker to tap in his own goal.
Bolton dug themselves in a deep hole when they conceded an own goal eight minutes later. Berhalter’s corner kick was headed by Adilson Malanda and took a deflection off Lewis Brunt.
The hosts cut the deficit in the second minute of first-half stoppage time with some hope of turning the momentum in their favor.
However, the Teesiders could not be stopped as they continued rolling in the second half. Cozier-Duberry restored their three-goal lead in the 73rd minute with a shot in the roof of the net. Lankshear closed out the scoring five minutes later with another tap-in.
Middlesbrough play host to Charlie Kelman and Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Notes
Elsewhere in the Championship, both Jack McGlynn and Luca Bombino played the entire game for Stoke City as they shared the points in a 0-0 tie with Bristol City.
Charlie Kelman started and scored a goal for Charlton Athletic, but they surrendered their lead to Norwich City, which ended in a 3-1 defeat.
George Campbell played the full 90 minutes for West Bromwich Albion, while Caleb Wiley made his return from injury as an unused substitute for Preston North End in their 1-1 tie.
Kristoffer Lund was a scratch from Birmingham City’s roster due to injury as they fell in a 1-0 loss to Cardiff City.
In League One, Lynden Gooch played a few minutes of stoppage time in Huddersfield Town’s 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic.
Down in League Two, Julian Eyestone was between the posts for Rotherham United in a wild 3-3 tie with Shrewsbury Town.
