MIDDLESBRO 2 N FOREST 0
Possession 38% 62% Shots On Target 8 3 Shots Off Target 3 5 Blocked Shots 2 6 Corners 5 8 Fouls Conceded 9 7 Offsides 0 0 Yellow Cards 1 2 Red Cards 0 0 DANIEL AYALA and Stewart Downing ruined Aitor Karanka’s Riverside return and kept Middlesbrough in the hunt for the Championship play-offs.
Spanish defender Ayala and former England winger Downing were among those cited for Karanka’s unhappy Teesside exit last season after four years in charge.
Even Jose Mourinho, Karanka’s former boss at Real Madrid, blamed the influence of Downing and other senior players, in Steve Gibson’s decision to sack the man who took over at the City Ground earlier in the year.
Middlesbrough were eventually relegated from the Premier League under Steve Agnew but Ayala and Downing, both enjoying a revival under Boro boss Tony Pulis since his Christmas arrival, kept them in touch with the top six with the home side’s two goals.
Karanka made little fuss initially but received a warm reception when he first stood in the dug-out in the ninth minute – two minutes after his side had fallen behind to Ayala’s fifth of the season.
The Forest manager said: “I have a lot of good memories here and I did not have any doubt because we love each other.
“When I came here, I felt a really hungry club and when I left, it was a club in the Premier League and everyone was enjoying the Premier League.
“I was in an odd place, especially with people saying I had problems with the players, problems with the crowd, problems with the board. But the first person to send me a message before I came to Forest was the chairman and it was a nice reception from the fans and all the players. “But now I am at Forest and trying to do the same because this club has a lot of history and I would like to repeat what I did here in the following years at my new club.” Pulis’ men went ahead in the seventh minute when the visitors, who have conceded more goals than any other Championship side from corners, failed to clear Downing’s cross from an Adama Traore short corner. Ben Gibson headed the ball back into a crowded area, his central defensive partner took a touch, turned and looped the ball over Costel Pantilimon. Karanka added: “If I show you how many times we showed them Daniel Ayala at set pieces in the meetings, you can’t understand why we conceded.”
Downing made it two in the 31st minute when Forest failed to clear a long George Friend throw-in and the veteran winger lashed a low right foot shot out of Pantilimon’s reach for his second of the season.
Pulis said: “I was pleased with the first half; the movement of the ball, positions we got into and the opportunities. The one disappointing thing was that half-time came because it stopped the momentum.
“We spend far too much time in this country worrying about everyone else and what they are doing instead of concentrating on your own lives and I can only affect what happens here.”
Former Forest striker Britt Assombalonga came on for the last 10 minutes. Booed by the 1,000-plus visiting fans, he played a lovely back heel to set up Patrick Bamford, who fired wide. Assombalonga then had just Pantilimon to beat but shot into the Forest keeper’s hands.