MAGIC DOES THE TRICK!
Wing sorcerer Johnson the difference for Boro
MARVIN JOHNSON admits he still has a way to go to live up to his ‘Magic’ nickname.
Middlesbrough’s £2million recruit from Oxford left QPR spellbound with a stunning display of wing sorcery.
His full Boro debut kept Garry Monk’s pre-season promotion favourites in the thick of the hunt for an immediate Premier League return.
The 26-year-old teed up Britt Assombalonga (below) to head home the winner after putting the first on a plate for Lewis Baker, with sub Ashley Fletcher glancing in his first league goal since joining from West Ham.
Former non-league midfielder Johnson is desperate to prove he can hack it in the Championship after making the step-up from League One, although his Boro team-mates have not yet cottoned on to his ‘Magic’ tag – in honour of US basketball star Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.
He hopes it will soon catch on if he can put in a few more dazzling displays like this.
“‘Magic’ is what I’ve been called all my life,” he said. “The lads here don’t call me that, though. It’s plain Jonno at the moment. Maybe ‘Magic’ will catch on after a couple more games.” Johnson was playing only semi-professionally until two-and-a-half years ago, and is keen to make up for lost time after grabbing his chance.
He added: “I’m a late developer because I didn’t think about turning pro until I was 23. I just played for enjoyment and when I did go full-time I realised I had a lot of catching up to do.
“I wasn’t expecting to be involved in the first team here for another three or four weeks while I settled in, but I’ve been given that opportunity and you have to believe in your ability.”
Rangers were twice ahead thanks to David Wheeler’s debut goal and sub Jamie Mackie taking full advantage of a mix-up between keeper Darren Randolph and defender Ben Gibson.
But it was not enough to end a sevenmonth winless streak on the road.
Massimo Luongo wore the armband in place of Nedum Onuoha, who is out for three months with a hamstring injury. The stand-in skipper said: “We withstood a lot of pressure and it was devastating not to hold out in the end.
“Despite the result, it’s still a step forward for us because we proved we can mix it with one of the best teams in this division.”