Middlesbrough 3-1 Preston North End

Tomlin scored four goals in 14 games for Boro last season

Lee Tomlin scored twice as Middlesbrough saw off spirited Preston in the Capital One Cup second round.

Tomlin picked himself up after being fouled to curl home a free-kick following an uneventful first half.

Preston's Jordan Hugill nodded in a leveller shortly after, but parity lasted only three minutes before Bradley Fewster bundled in for Boro.

Tom Clarke headed over as Preston went close, but Tomlin's superb solo effort put the game beyond the visitors.

Tomlin was denied a chance to complete his hat-trick when he was replaced by Emmanuel Ledesma.

His replacement almost teed up a fourth for the home side however, finding Fewster with a glorious pass that that the teenage striker could not convert.

Middlesbrough travel to Liverpool in the third round.

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka told BBC Tees:

"When you finish this kind of game and get into the next round it is important. Now Man United have lost 4-0, it is a difficult competition.

"It is 19 years since the first game at Riverside and this was a good day for us.

"The lads didn't play so well in the first half, and that is normal when you feel like you are better than the other team and you feel a little bit too comfortable on the pitch. The second half was much better."

Preston manager Simon Grayson told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I thought it was a good team performance. Our workrate was good, our shape and discipline was good, and we were in the game.

"We had some good spells with and without the ball.

"They're a good team with some good quality and we can be proud of what we've done tonight.

"At one stage, we probably had four or five lads who were under 21 and they'll have learned so much from tonight."