Nowhere to hide for Carr Jekyll side

JEKYLL and Hyde Middlesbrough must be driving boss Michael Carrick mad.

A week after completing the double over leaders Leicester, Boro crashed to another woeful home defeat which leaves their play-off hopes in tatters.

They have not won at the Riverside since December 23 and were booed off by their own fans on the final whistle.

Plymouth had picked up just nine points on their travels before their long trip to Teesside but played like away-day masters in the opening 45 minutes, when they pummelled the home goal.

While Boro huffed and puffed, failing to create a decent chance throughout, the Pilgrims were ruthless.

They took the lead on seven minutes when Matthew Sorinola pounced after Tom Glover had failed to hold Darko Gyabi’s shot.

And top scorer Ryan Hardie doubled the lead in the 31st minute, curling his shot past Glover after being sent through by Gyobi.

“The challenge is to put together results and performances and we are not getting the mix right at all,” said Carrick.

“Not a lot went right for us but that defeat is on me and the decisions I made.”

Plymouth should have been out of sight at the interval with Morgan Whittaker stinging Glover’s hands with a 20-yard drive and the keeper acrobatically denying Adam Randell.

“We were outstanding from start to finish,” said delighted boss Ian Foster.

“We had a gameplan and the players implemented. In many ways, it was the perfect away game.”

MIDDLESBROUGH: Glover 5; Ayling 6 (Dijksteel (79) 6), Van den Berg 5, McNair 5, Thomas 6 (Engel (79) 6); Barlaser 5, O’Brien 5; Forss 5, Azaz 5 (Latte Lath (58) 6), McGree 6 (Greenwood (58) 6); Silvera 5 (Gilbert (79) 6)

PLYMOUTH: Hazard 6; Pleguezuelo 6 (Phillips (85) 6), Gibson 6, Galloway 6; Sorinola 7 (Edwards (71) 6), Randell 7, Houghton 6, Gyabi 8 (Mumba (83) 6), Miller 6; Whittaker 7 (Devine (71) 5), Hardie 7 (Waine (83) 6)

STAR MAN: Darko Gyabi – At the heart of all things good from Plymouth.

REF: Sunny Singh Gill 7