Happy return of day for Karanka
HAVING thrown away leads twice in the past week, Aitor Karanka spoke of his relief at Nottingham Forest securing victory at Middlesbrough.
At Blackburn Rovers a week ago and in midweek at home to Millwall his team had been ahead, but drew both of the Championship fixtures.
However, at the Riverside against his former club Karanka’s team won at a canter, despite Jack Robinson being red-carded in the closing stages.
Joe Lolley and Lewis Grabban scored to lift Forest up to fifth, and Karanka said: “In the last week we were winning at Blackburn and against Millwall and we couldn’t manage to win those games.
“Today has been perfect. We were winning, we managed the game even when we had one player less. I am really pleased for the players because we are now in the position we deserve to be, fifth.” Karanka left in March 2017 after a three-year tenure during which time he achieved a promotion and suffered relegation from the Premier League.
He added: “This club will always be special for me. I had a good experience with everyone in the stadium.”
Forest had the upperhand from an early stage, Boro making a sloppy start and giving the ball away sloppily.
Jack Colback tried an optimistic effort by letting fly from 25 yards, and Lolley saw a low effort saved by keeper Darren Randolph.
Boro improved, winning four corners and Martin Braithwaite hit the bar with a shot deflected by Colback. Forest then lost defender Michael Dawson to injury before the break, but that did nothing to unsettle Forest, who took the lead early in the second half, and it was a rocket by Lolley.
After Daryl Murphy turned Daniel Ayala on halfway, the striker evaded Ryan Shotton and fed the overlapping Lolley, who took a touch before unleashing a powerful rising effort that Randolph had no chance of stopping.
Sub Britt Assombalonga wasted a great opportunity of an equaliser, midway through the second half, shooting too close to Costel Pantilimon.
Grabban grabbed the goal to seal the points after 77 minutes. He tapped in at close range, ghosting unmarked into the six-yard box to meet Lol-Middlesbrough ley’s pass from the left. Boro were give some hope when Robinson was red-carded, having been shown a second yellow card, but, aside from Gestede having an effort ruled out for a push on the goalkeeper, the hosts did not come close to an unlikely comeback.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis admitted: “I don’t think anybody saw that performance coming. It’s a tough league and everybody in every game turns up.
“We need to be much more clinical and we need to do something in that respect in the final third.”
Pulis added: “I thought we started really, really poorly, the first 20 minutes we were like a bag of potatoes and we never, never got going.”