Negredo hits two.. but Karanka’s still unhappy

STRIKER Alvaro Negredo fired in a double strike as Boro eventually made it a comfortable home win against sinking Swansea.

A lovely third goal from Marten de Roon sealed three precious points for the home side.

But manager Aitor Karanka remained less than impressed.

“We have won the game with our worst performance of the season, it is that easy,” he said. “Until we scored, I was really upset.

“Most of the time I am pleased with our performance and not the result, but today is the opposite.

“But it was against direct opponents and we had to win.

“So, it is a massive win. Sometimes we will win like that, sometimes we will play our best and not win. That is the Premier League. The main thing is having points on the table and playing without pressure.”

Boro have now opened up a six-point gap over Bob Bradley’s dreadful Swansea. Middlesbrough were dealt a blow after just 11 minutes when winger Viktor Fischer was forced off with a knee injury from a routine 50-50 tackle with Angel Rangel.

That meant an earlier than anticipated return to action for Stewart Downing, who has started the last six games on the bench.

The first meaningful effort came immediately from Negredo, but his cross aimed for Gaston Ramirez, was parried away by Lukasz Fabianski.

But when a delivery was made to Negredo for the first time, in the 18th minute, the veteran Spanish striker made no mistake with a devastating left-foot finish.

Adam Clayton showed neat skill to wrong- foot Rangel before clipping in a left-foot cross to the edge of the area.

Negredo swivelled his body and foot to deliver a curling shot out of Fabianski’s reach.

Negredo’s second came from the penalty spot, in the 29th minute, after Jordi Amat’s ridiculous challenge on Adam Forshaw. The Boro midfielder had powered past Neil Taylor before Amat stuck out his right leg and caught Forshaw’s knee.

Negredo side-footed home, sending Fabianski the wrong way.

The game was put beyond any doubt just before the hour when the excellent Ramirez split the Swans’ defence with a deft cross, which De Roon swept past Fabianski for his second of the season.

Swans boss Bradley admitted: “We put ourselves in a hole and we are not satisfied.

“When you are behind, defending always becomes harder.

“We have started games with confidence and positive football, but then not created enough and, in our ability to defend, our reactions are too slow.”