EVERY GAME & EVERY GOAL ON A BIG NIGHT IN CHAMPIONSHIP

Kid off bench to keep Boro on track

MARCUS TAVERNIER is fast emerging as a key player in keeping Middlesbrough’s promotion push on track.

The England Under-20 winger has only played a handful of senior games for Boro, but really knows how to make a difference.

Tavernier headed what turned out to be the winner at Brentford on Saturday and struck a vital equaliser at in-form Preston just when Tony Pulis’ side looked to be sinking.

Boro trailed to Alan Browne’s classy goal at the break for a North End side who went into the game on the back of an eight-match unbeaten run.

To make matters worse for Pulis, he had lost striker Rudy Gestede to a first-half injury and then saw midfielder Lewis Wing limp off too.

But Tavernier, on as a substitute for Gestede, extended Boro’s own unbeaten run to seven league games with a cool finish in the 46th minute.

He galloped on to Dael Fry’s ball, outpaced a snoozing Paul Huntington and slotted a shot beneath keeper Declan Rudd.

Tavernier went close to scoring a second with two headers after that – but did not have it all his own way, as he was booked for diving in the final 10 minutes.

Preston threatened to overwhelm their high-flying opponents in the opening 20 minutes.

Brandon Barker should have given the home side the lead in the first 75 seconds after Louis Moult’s pass played him clear, but he took too long and allowed Wing to race back and make a superb tackle.

Boro escaped again when winger Barker hit the post at the end of a scramble that saw his cross turned goalwards by Tom Barkhuizen, and cleared by Aden Flint.

But Preston breached the visitors’ defence two minutes before the break, as Browne took on Barker’s pass and drilled a shot into the bottom corner.

However, Tavernier levelled within a minute of the restart – and that was how it remained for the rest of the match.