MONK HAILS BAMFORD AFTER SCORING RETURN
FIRST LEAGUE START FOR STRIKER AND HE MARKS IT WITH A GOAL AS BORO EASE TO WIN
Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk praised the attitude shown by Patrick Bamford after the striker marked his first league start since August with a goal, writes Joe Nicholson.
Bamford left the pitch to a standing ovation in the 81st minute after his second-half strike sealed a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the Riverside on Saturday afternoon.
For 44 minutes, it looked like it could be another frustrating day for the hosts before Martin Braithwaite broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time.
But, Boro appeared comfortable after Bamford’s goal in the 51st minute, and Monk was quick to praise the 24-year-old forward in the manager’s post-match press conference.
“I think he typified the performance,” said the Boro boss. “His goal was excellent, his move to get there and then a great finish. It made it comfortable in the game for us.
“You have to work hard to get into this team and as a manager you have to test players and see how they respond, that’s part of your job.
“Patrick in the last two or three weeks has really responded and trained very well. He got his opportunity today and took it, that’s what you want from your players so credit to him.”
Bamford was one of three changes from the side which lost 2-1 at Bristol City last time out, as captain Grant Leadbitter and Daniel Ayala, who was suspended for the trip to Ashton Gate, also returned.
Yet it was the visitors, fresh from back-to-back victories over Derby and Nottingham Forest, who carved-out the first opportunity on seven minutes.
Manchester City loanee Bersant Celina charged down the left before his cross was turned behind by Ayala, with Town’s top scorer Martyn Waghorn lurking in the background.
At the start of the match, Bamford was deployed beWith hind Britt Assombalonga in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Braithwaite on the left and Stewart Downing on the right.
The latter was the hosts’ most creative player in the first-half, and in the 16th minute Downing’s inviting free-kick was stabbed towards goal by Ben Gibson, forcing Ipswich goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski into a save.
Downing was the orchestrator of Boro’s next move when the winger picked out Fabio’s overlapping run with a sumptuous cross-field pass, before the full-back volleyed wide.
The game entered a bit of a lull before the half-time whistle but, with the interval looming, Boro took their chance.
Downing’s cross from the right was headed down by Ipswich’s Grant Ward, who inadvertently turned the ball into Braithwaite’s path, allowing the Dane to lash the ball through the legs of Bialkowski from close range.
the wind in their sails, Monk’s men doubled their advantage six minutes after the restart.
Bamford found space in front of the visitors’ back four and, after receiving the ball from team-mate Cyrus Christie, the striker cut in from the right before curling a low shot past Bialkowski.
Boro were rarely threatened after that, as Town – who remain the division’s second highest scorers - registered just one shot on target all afternoon.