Wycombe 1-3 Middlesbrough: Neil Warnock's side boost play-off hopes
- Published
Marcus Tavernier scored a superb goal to put Boro in front for the first time
Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough moved within a point of the play-off places after coming from behind to beat struggling Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.
Boro were jolted into life by Uche Ikpeazu's early goal for the home side, curled beyond Marcus Bettinelli after neat footwork, and goals from Marcus Browne, Marcus Tavernier and Chuba Akpom turned the game the Teessiders' way.
Browne headed in a Paddy McNair corner from the left to square it up, and Tavernier cracked in a second, teasing his way into the box before fizzing a low drive past goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
Wanderers returned for the second half fired up as they made a bid to climb off the foot of the table, and twice hit the woodwork through Scott Kashket's swerving drive and a Ryan Tafazolli header.
The visitors finished it off late on when a superb McNair corner viciously swung into the near post and bounced out for the former Arsenal man Akpom to fire home and secure the points.
Wycombe's midweek win over Cardiff had lifted spirits at Adams Park and their early breakthrough for former Hearts striker Ikpeazu triggered hopes they could climb off the foot of the table.
With Rotherham not playing and Derby beaten on Friday night, the Buckinghamshire side had hoped to reel in the sides above them, but this loss keeps them at the foot of the table - four points below Sheffield Wednesday in 21st.
But Boro are made of tougher stuff under wily veteran Warnock and are looking up at possible promotion rather than engaging in the kind of relegation battle which he inherited last season.
Defeat by a revived Wednesday in midweek ended a three-game winning run but an immediate bounce back to victory leaves Boro in seventh, top of the chasing pack in a congested top end of the table.
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"Neil Warnock's got 1,000 plus games under his belt, promotions aplenty and you can see why. They're a solid, organised, grafting outfit that get set-plays and grind you down.
"We've come up against an outfit who are very similar to ourselves in Leagues One and Two. They were great, we were second best today and I've not said that too often this season.
"It wasn't a lack of effort - it never is - but they were savvy, they did what they do really well. I expect Middlesbrough to be up and around it at the end of the season so it's not a huge whack, but we've got to start getting some points on the board to get above this line."
Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock:
"Once our first goal went in I thought we played some good stuff and could have had a few more. I've just said I would be proud to manage both teams today because they gave absolutely everything.
"Gareth [Ainsworth] knows what I think about how they got promotion. He's a miracle worker. When you've got lads giving everything like that, I want my lads to do the same and then their ability might show through.
"The thing about coming here is that if you get on the bus with all three points you've got the job done, because not many teams will like coming here."