Blunder-ful for Etheridge
BIRMINGHAM
MIDDLESBROUGH
KEEPER Neil Etheridge’s disastrous errors set up Middlesbrough for their biggest league win in nearly six years.
Boro stormed back into the Championship’s top six and boss Neil Warnock said: “It’s a long time since we got four goals away from home.
“We were dominant. We could have had more.
“When Birmingham’s keeper made the mistake for the third goal, I thought their heads went down.
“But I thought that third was coming. I know we were fortunate in the way we got it, but that was our spell of dominance.
“I haven’t seen the table. Sixth are we?
“If we could be three or four points off the play-offs by January I’ll be pleased. Then we can try and bring in two or three players because we have a very thin squad.”
Boro fought back from a goal down inside a quarter of an hour and, with Etheridge’s unintended help, picked up only their second win on the road. It’s their biggest win since a 4-1 home victory over Ipswich back in March 2015.
Etheridge let a 56thminute routine Lewis Wing corner squirm between his hands as he went to catch it and the ball dropped into the net. Then eight minutes from time he got to a screaming Wing 25-yarder but the ball still went in.
“I have always said Etheridge is one of the best in the keepers in the league and he belongs to the Premier League,” said Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka.
“I don’t want to change my mind because he made two mistakes.
“He knows he is going to play the next game.” Maxime Colin had given Blues the lead with a rare goal, only his fourth in 148 games, after Jeremie Bela had undone Middlesbrough.
Bela also set up Scott Hogan for what ought to have been a second, but keeper Marcus Bettinelli diverted the ball away with his foot.
Three minutes later Boro were level. Britt Assombalonga tucked away his customary goal against City – the seventh of his career – as Birmingham’s defence opened up.
It took four more minutes for the hosts to be cut apart again, this time George Saville benefitting for his first goal in two months, from close range.
Then Etheridge handed over the win to Boro in a nightmare afternoon.