JOSH WHAT BORO NEED

Teenage strike star Coburn has got the Riverside faithful and Warnock buzzing

MIDDLESBROUGH Mcnair 85 pen, Coburn 90+4

BY

MIDDLESBROUGH have a proud reputation for nurturing local talent from Gary Pallister to Stewart Downing and beyond.

But for all gems they have unearthed, a top-class striker has never come off Boro’s prolific conveyor belt.

Until possibly now! Teenager Josh Coburn has only made a handful of appearances since turning pro in the new year but boss Neil Warnock has already seen enough to be convinced he will make a living in the game.

Whether he goes on to have a career like Pallister or Downing is another matter.

But the 18-year-old’s physique is impressive and the way he took his goal deep into injury-time, after Paddy Mcnair (celebrating, right) had broken Posh’s resistance five minutes earlier from the penalty spot (above) , suggests he is a natural finisher.

Coburn took a return pass from Martin Payero before guiding a right-foot shot into the bottom corner. “Josh has come back a lot stronger than last year,” said Warnock.

“He got Covid a few weeks ago and that knocked him back. But in training, he’s been on fire.

“In practice games, some of the lads try to rough him up but it doesn’t bother him one bit – he’ll take it and give a bit back.

“And he’s the best runner for crosses at the club in terms of getting on the end o f them. He checks and goes and is always on the move in the box.

“When you look at the top players, they always know where to go to get round the back or in at the near post and Josh has that.

“Whenever he’s on the pitch, he contributes something.”

Coburn’s late goal gave the scoreline a flattering look for Boro, who like the visitors, huffed and puffed.

Posh have now lost all six away games but it could have been different had they been awarded a penalty for Boro keeper Joe Lumley’s challenge on Siriki Dembele.

Boss Darren Ferguson was more concerned with his own side’s deficiencies than the ref ’s blunder.

He said: “Until the final third we were good. The game was there for the taking but we didn’t have the quality with that final pass.

It just wasn’t good

enough.”