NEIL ON RISE AGAIN
Teessiders eye play-offs
MIDDLESBROUGH moved to within sight of the play-off spots after coming from behind to beat rockbottom Wycombe.
A fourth win in five for Neil Warnock’s in-form side left Boro just one point off.
Warnock has been promoted a record eight times as a boss but laughed off suggestions of repeating that feat with Boro. Yet at the halfway mark of the season, there’s no doubt that the Teessiders are in the promotion shake-up.
He said: “We don’t worry about things like that but I’m at a great club. I love being at Middlesbrough. My owner’s one of the best there is so it’s a great place to be at the moment.
“There’ll be a few teams that don’t fancy coming down here. They give absolutely everything and I’d be proud to manage both these teams. If you get on the bus home and you’ve got three points here then you’ve done a good job.”
Defeat leaves the Chairboys at the foot of the table and four points off safety.
“It’s not often I saw we were second best but we were today,” said boss Gareth Ainsworth. “We’ve got to learn from that. It wasn’t a lack of effort – it never is – but they were savvy.
“We need to get above that line by the end of the season and we’re going to give every ounce of energy and positivity to make that happen.”
Ainsworth’s side got off to the perfect start as muscular striker Uche Ikpeazu scored his first goal at this level after only three minutes. He squeezed between two players coming off the right before curling an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
But Wycombe couldn’t hang on to their advantage and were soon pegged back when Boro equalised from a corner with
Marcus Browne heading in
Paddy McNair’s delivery.
Warnock’s men had their tails up and went in front as Marcus Tavernier darted in from the right and fired a brilliant left-foot shot into the far corner, giving Ryan Allsop no chance. Wycombe sub Scott Kashket saw his rising shot tipped against the crossbar by Marcus Bettinelli before the Boro keeper then denied a Ryan Tafazolli header.
The visitors again went close as Tavernier smashed a shot down off the crossbar and onto the line with several Boro players appealing that it had crossed.
McNair’s brilliant corners had caused problems all afternoon and his set-peice delivery played its part in clinching the win.
His cross clipped the woodwork and came out for
Chuba Akpom to lash home.