Neil Warnock had the immediate effect Steve Gibson hoped for when Middlesbrough’s owner sacked Jonathan Woodgate on Tuesday and replaced him with a 71-year-old who is correctly billed as a Championship specialist. Warnock’s expertise was hired to try to avert relegation and, after this convincing win over a muted Stoke, Boro are two points clear of danger with seven matches left.
City drop to 20th and trail Boro by a place and a point, after a goal in each half – from Ashley Fletcher and Marcus Tavernier. To deepen the woe for the Potters, who travel to Wigan Athletic on Tuesday, they had Nick Powell sent off a minute from time.
“We could have put the game to bed by half-time,” Warnock said. “I think the lads have enjoyed it. No one really likes a new manager coming in but you’ve got to get on with it. I love trying to make players better than what they are – it’s why I’m still in the game.”
For this first match of his 18th managerial position Warnock made six changes from Woodgate’s last game – a 3-0 loss at home to Swansea – with the inclusion of the £15m club record signing, Britt Assombalonga, the most notable of these, the striker having last scored in November.
Michael O’Neill’s side had drawn their opening match of the restart – 1-1 at Reading – and would be dominated here for large swathes. Warnock received the welcome sight of the opening strike of his reign when Fletcher fashioned a classic glancing header past Jack Butland from Patrick Roberts’ pinpoint free-kick from the right.
Boro were deservedly ahead and they continued to press, to O’Neill’s obvious concern. Stoke were passive, allowing George Saville and Jonny Howson to orchestrate from midfield, and they came close to conceding a second when Djed Spence moved forward from right-back and pinged the ball in but Assombalonga could not connect with a sliding finish.
O’Neill brought on Tom Ince for Lasse Sørensen four minutes before half-time and the way the latter trotted off suggested this was a tactical move from an unhappy manager.
Wayne Rooney's penalty proved the difference as Derby beat Reading 2-1 to boost their play-off hopes. A quick-fire double late in the first half from Tom Lawrence and Wayne Rooney oput Councty inchargeat the break. Andy Rinomhota's header pulled a goal back before Lawrence and Reading's Matt Miazga were shown red cards following a confrontation.
Cardiff conjured a 21-minute, three-goal blitz to sink Preston 3-1 at Deepdale, and improve their chances of promotion. Joe Ralls headed the Bluebirds in front in the 69th minute, only for Daniel Johnson to equalise for the hosts. But Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Robert Glatzel bagged late goals for Cardiff, allowing the visitors to leapfrog Preston and into the top six.
Luton hauled themselves off the bottom of the table thanks to a shock 1-0 win at Swansea. James Collins headed the winner.
Darren Pratley's 12th-minute header proved enough for Charlton to boost their survival hopes with a vital home win over QPR.
Barnsley slipped to the foot of the table with a goalless draw at home to Millwall. Gary Gardner rescued Birmingham a point by striking his second goal in a 3-3 draw with Hull at St Andrews.
Lee Evans' first goal since the season's opening day teed up Wigan's 2-0 win over Blackburn. The Wales midfielder broke a 25-match drought, firing into the roof of the net with 10 minutes to play. And at the death Michael Jacobs blasted home.
Boro felt the opposing emotion as the second half commenced. O’Neill’s instruction was surely to up the tempo, judging by how Tyrese Campbell’s pace immediately punched a hole in Boro’s left, and when the ball came to James McClean he should have scored. Instead the wide man dawdled and when he finally let fly Dejan Stojanovic made a fine point-blank save. Further frustration occurred moments later for McClean when his header from Tommy Smith’s cross beat Stojanovic but not the right post.
To try to keep the pressure up O’Neill made a double change on the hour, with Sam Vokes and Jordan Cousins, a striker and a winger, replacing the defender Bruno Martins Indi and the wide man Jordan Thompson.
Warnock’s response yielded instant gold. Tavernier replaced Roberts and the No 7 promptly outmuscled McClean, twisted inside, then beat Butland low to his right from 20 yards.
Stoke were deflated. When the profligate McClean floated in a 70th-minute free-kick that went straight out, this summed up his and his side’s afternoon.
Boro ended as strongly as they had been throughout, taking the game to Stoke, with Powell being sent off for two industrial tackles in two minutes that drew yellow cards from Matthew Donohue, the referee.
“We came off second best,” was O’Neill’s verdict.
On this evidence Gibson has made a smart choice in recruiting Warnock. His next match is on Thursday at Hull, who are a point behind Stoke.
