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Championship | Gameweek 2
Aug 14, 2021 at 3pm UK
Riverside Stadium
BC
Bristol City

Middlesbrough
2 - 1
Bristol City

Ikpeazu (38'), Crooks (70')
FT(HT: 1-0)
King (60')
Atkinson (24')

Uche Ikpeazu and Matt Crooks on target as Middlesbrough edge Bristol City

:Headline: Uche Ikpeazu and Matt Crooks on target as Middlesbrough edge Bristol City:
Boro looked in complete control once Ikpeazu had found the net with seven minutes remaining of the first half.
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Uche Ikpeazu and Matt Crooks on target as Middlesbrough edge Bristol City

Uche Ikpeazu and Matt Crooks found the net for the first time in a Middlesbrough shirt to secure a 2-1 Championship victory over Bristol City at a noisy Riverside Stadium.

Boro deserved the lead and looked in complete control once Ikpeazu, who moved from Wycombe this summer, had found the net with seven minutes remaining of the first half.

But Nigel Pearson's Leicester old-boys, Matty James and Andy King, combined to level through the latter's header on the hour.

The impressive Crooks – an arrival from Rotherham – was then on hand 10 minutes later to grab the winner for the home side from inside the area.

That made it the perfect outcome for Boro boss Neil Warnock who, despite being in charge for more than a year, was overseeing his first Middlesbrough game in front of a big Riverside crowd.

It looked like Bristol City would make it hard for the hosts after a decent opening five minutes from the visitors.

But from that moment on, the Robins struggled to make an impact in the final third until the equaliser and it was the home side that created the first half-chances.

Ikpeazu was lively enough along with Crooks, Isaiah Jones and Djed Spence in the final third for Middlesbrough.

Jones – after impressing as a substitute at Fulham six days earlier – was quick to make his mark again with a run and pass into the area for Crooks' first time effort to require a save from goalkeeper Dan Bentley.

A couple of minutes later, Crooks was involved again. This time he got to the byline to cross into the danger area where Spence arrived to head the ball down and wide.

And when Ikpeazu had dragged an effort wide following a nice pass from Paddy McNair, there was a sense that Bristol City were about to cave in.

In the 38th minute, Crooks broke into the visitors' half and rolled Jones in down the left. The young winger beat Zak Vyner before his delivery into the box was only helped on by Rob Atkinson for Ikpeazu to hammer the ball in from close range.

Jones was quick to make an impact after the restart too. After cutting inside from the left again, his finish was not as impressive and he rolled his effort into the hands of Bentley.

But after Spence had hit the palms of Bentley following another Jones pass, City found a new lease of life and they were level on the hour from the Foxes combination.

James' delivery from wide on the right into the area was watched by red shirts and that allowed King to coast in and head beyond goalkeeper Joe Lumley.

Middlesbrough regained the lead 10 minutes later as Ikpeazu's knock down from McNair's deep cross allowed Crooks to move ahead of his marker and finish.

There were a couple of late scares from the away side but Boro held on.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds30189360194163
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd30196541212061
3Burnley30151323692758
4Sunderland291510442241855
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn30136113429545
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom301014639271244
7Middlesbrough29128947361144
8Norwich CityNorwich30119104942742
9Bristol City30101283835342
10Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds30119104346-342
11Coventry CityCoventry30118114138341
12Watford30125134042-241
13Millwall301010103027340
14Queens Park RangersQPR30911103339-638
15Preston North EndPreston3081393338-537
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd30910113444-1037
17Swansea CitySwansea3097143242-1034
18Stoke CityStoke30711122837-932
19Cardiff CityCardiff30710133351-1831
20Portsmouth3079143652-1630
21Hull City3078153140-929
22Derby CountyDerby3076173241-927
23Luton TownLuton3076173049-1927
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth30510152963-3425
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