Middlesbrough 1-4 Brentford: Ivan Toney scores twice as Bees go second in Championship
- Published
Ivan Toney's second goal was his 22nd in 31 appearances this season - and his sixth in his past three games
Ivan Toney scored twice as Brentford came from a goal down to thump Middlesbrough and move up to second place in the Championship.
Boro got off to a great start as new signing Neeskens Kebano floated a dangerous cross in from a short corner which bounced in off Bees keeper David Raya, before Brentford's top scorer Toney side-footed his side level.
Boro hit the post shortly before half-time and Vitaly Janelt made them pay after the break as he shot in low from the edge of the box.
Mathias Jensen got Brentford's third as he pounced on Paddy McNair's slip on the halfway line and raced through, before Toney headed the fourth and his 22nd league goal of the season after Marcus Bettinelli had tipped Rico Henry's shot on to the bar.
Brentford are now unbeaten in 20 league games, a run stretching back to 24 October, and one point behind leaders Norwich with a game in hand.
It might have been worse for Boro, who have now won just once in their past six Championship games, but Jensen hit the post in the 89th minute for the visitors. Neil Warnock's side stay seventh, five points off sixth-placed Bournemouth.
The score could have been a lot closer were it not for some excellent saves by Raya, who more than redeemed himself for a handling error which saw the ball bounce off Ethan Pinnock and back off himself to give the hosts their third-minute lead.
He saved well from debutant winger Yannick Bolasie in the 21st minute and brilliantly palmed Britt Assombalonga's 40th-minute effort on to the post before scrambling George Saville's weak follow-up wide.
The Spaniard again did well to to keep out Assombalonga with his legs shortly after the restart, while he dived to his right to stop a powerful Saville blast from 12 yards with 15 minutes left.
Brentford will go top if they pick up a point from their game in hand on the Canaries at Reading on Wednesday (19:00 GMT kick-off).
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Tees:
"I don't think I've ever been as pleased with a 4-1 defeat in my career, really and I've said that to the lads. Their goalie's made some really fantastic saves. All right, he shouldn't have had a chance with four or five of them, so that's disappointing.
"Brentford are a top side. We're in the makings of being a very good side, I think - that's why I say there were a lot of plusses today.
"Paddy (McNair) slipped for the third, but he's not made a mistake this season and the pitch is terrible. We're going to have to get used to that, I'm afraid that's what'll happen until the end of the season."
Bees head coach Thomas Frank:
"It's incredible to come from behind and to win 4-1, to be fair I don't think it was a 4-1 game. Middlesbrough deserve praise and there is a reason why they are fighting to get in the play-off positions.
"The thing is, the team deserve massive praise. To come here against one of the best defensive sides in the division, from a tactical view it is difficult to create chances against their man-marking system.
"We conceded early and we thought it could be a long afternoon with the rain, cold, soft and difficult pitch to play on. That shows a lot of character. But we can't keep going down 1-0 and we need to learn from that."
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