Boro top again with win that’s pure Pulis
Organised, strong and clinical — Middlesbrough went to the top of the Championship with a performance their manager will have loved. This was pure Tony Pulis. resolute at the back, the Teessiders squeezed the life out of sheffield Wednesday in the first half, hit them with a quick double after the break, then saw out a late home surge.
a fine finish from Bosnian Mo Besic was followed moments later by Britt assombalonga’s tap-in after a catastrophic error from Tom Lees. it was enough to inflict Wednesday’s first home league defeat of the campaign and strengthen Boro’s quest to get back into the Premier League at the second time of asking.
adam reach’s fine volley, his third impressive strike in as many home matches, set up a frantic finish but Boro hung on.
Credit must go to Pulis. He has not had the millions to spend that predecessors have enjoyed under philanthropic chairman steve gibson. instead, he has seen the likes of adama Traore depart for big money and appears to have invested what he has been left wisely.
Prior to this clash, the Welshman bemoaned the fact he had 10 players on international duty compared to Wednesday’s one — urging the EFL to adopt a fairer way of choosing games for live television coverage. The Boro boss wrote to League bosses to express his disappointment after he was left with one day to prepare his squad.
‘it’s no good crying and moping about it,’ he said.
in an open start which unfortunately did not last, Wednesday came close on 14 minutes when former Boro man reach headed Barry Bannan’s cross on to the bar from the edge of the six-yard area.
reach nearly struck on 29 minutes after robbing the dozing george Friend. His shot, from a tight angle, was brilliantly tipped around a post by darren randolph at full stretch. at the other end, Joao did well to head a dangerous stewart downing cross behind, while the diving Michael Hector managed to block adam Clayton’s ferocious drive.
With the game meandering to half-time, Besic scuffed a low shot straight at Cameron dawson in the Wednesday goal.
Only four minutes of the second half had elapsed when Boro took the lead. downing, wide on the right, found Jonny Howson with a clever backheel which wrongfooted the home defence.
Howson passed inside to Besic, who took it past the retreating Lees before cracking a low drive across dawson into the bottom corner for his second of the season.
For all the criticism Pulis attracts Boro were often entertaining, especially when the game got stretched, and their lead was soon doubled. Under pressure, Lees’ fatal backpass found Besic, who drew dawson before sidefooting for assombalonga to tap in.
it could have been worse for Wednesday. Besic chose to shoot rather than tee up assombalonga again and saw his effort easily held by the relieved dawson.
Wednesday pressed for a response. atdhe nuhiu had a header blocked on the line by aden Flint before, on 82 minutes, reach’s controlled, right-footed volley from the edge of the area brought them hope at 2-1.
a late bombardment followed, including a 10- man goalline scramble which resembled a rugby ruck. Wednesday could not find a way over the line.