DAN TONIC FOR TONY

Pulis revenge after Ayala winner

TONY PULIS took his revenge on the club that sacked him last November thanks to an injury-time winner from Daniel Ayala.

Brought in to reinforce the Boro defence against free-scoring West Brom, he struck in the 92nd minute to clinch the win which took his side top of the table.

There was a suspicion of handball as the Spaniard challenged Ahmed Hegazi in the box following Mo Besic’s free-kick.

But as the ball dropped the central defender lashed it past Sam Johnstone for his fifth goal in his last 11 outings.

The Baggies had scored 11 goals in their previous two league games but could find no way past a resolute Boro defence.

Since George Friend’s 97th minute equaliser at Millwall on the opening day of the season, Boro have been first half specialists – but not this time.

They did have their chances though with West Brom finding this a far tougher proposition than Steve McClaren’s feeble QPR side, who they thumped 7-1.

Appeal

Jonny Howson saw an early diving header deflected wide off the backside of team-mate Britt Assombalonga.

And after Friend himself had a penalty appeal turned down when the ball skimmed off Tosin Adarabioyo’s hand into his face, Stewart Downing tested Johnstone with a 25 yard effort the keeper did well to push away. No Baggies’ player managed a shot on target in the first period though they did come closest to breaking the deadlock when Aden Flint sliced an attempted clearance against the underside of his own bar.

Boro should have gone ahead in the 43rd minute through Martin Braithwaite but he lifted the ball over the bar from eight yards out.

In Boro’s first attack of the second half, Ayala was on the end of a long Friend throw-in but got little power on his header.

Dwight Gayle had opened his Baggies account last week and the Newcastle loanee should have marked his return to the North East with another goal in the 50th minute, but after running on to Matt Phillips’ pass he couldn’t keep his shot down.

Then Boro keeper Darren Randolph flung himself to his right to stop a Jay Rodriguez shot.