Norwich City 1-2 Middlesbrough: Michael Carrick's Boro fight back to beat Norwich
- Published
- comments
Riley McGree scored the first of Middlesbrough's two second-half goals in the comeback win
Substitute Matt Crooks scored a 92nd-minute winner at Norwich City to earn Michael Carrick's resurgent Middlesbrough a third straight win away from home.
World Cup-bound Josh Sargent, who was named in the United States squad for the tournament in Qatar just three days earlier, marked his call-up by drilling home his ninth goal of the season - and first since mid-October - to put the hosts ahead early on.
Riley McGree, who will be at the World Cup with Australia, levelled with a stunning half-volley into the top corner with Middlesbrough's first shot on goal in the 64th minute.
As both sides searched for a late winner - with Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn dealing with a header from Chuba Akpom and Gabriel Sara seeing a shot pushed away by Zack Steffen at the other end - Crooks earned the visitors all three points with close-range finish just three after coming off the bench.
The dramatic late defeat sees the Canaries slip to fifth in the table and six points adrift of the top two, while Boro move up to 14th with a third win in five games since former England and Manchester United midfielder Carrick took charge.
For the fourth time in a row, Carrick stuck with the same starting XI, while Dean Smith also fielded an unchanged side following the Canaries' midweek win at Rotherham.
Focus before the game was on high-profile Norwich investor Mark Attanasio, as he made his first visit to Carrow Road as a director, but the owner of Major League Baseball side Milwaukee Brewers was quickly upstaged by fellow American Sargent on the pitch.
The striker, who could line up against England in the World Cup in just 13 days, coolly put the hosts ahead with a low finish into the bottom corner after Kenny McLean set him free when an attempted through-ball was deflected into midfielder's path.
While Sargent took a late knock and was substituted, he walked off with few obvious ill effects.
The best first-half moment for the visitors came in the first two minutes, with the in-form Akpom nodding over the bar from a Tommy Smith cross.
While Steffen did well to keep Teemu Pukki out soon after, the Boro goalkeeper was well beaten by Sargent for the opener in the seventh minute.
A deflected shot from Aaron Ramsey then forced Steffen to react and parry a looping ball over the bar as Norwich pressed for a second.
Sara also hit the side-netting for the Canaries before Boro appealed for a penalty late in the first half, arguing that Sam McCallum blocked an Isaiah Jones header with his arm, but their protests were waved away by referee Leigh Doughty.
Sargent tested Steffen immediately after the break with an effort from 20 yards and had a penalty shout of his own turned down just before the hour mark when he was bundled over in the box.
It took 64 minutes for Boro to get a shot on goal, and it was a spectacular one from McGree to equalise after getting on the end of a smart flicked header from Marcus Forss.
After the equaliser, Middlesbrough piled the pressure on and while both sides orchestrated opportunities the decisive moment came in the second minute of injury time when Akpom found Crooks to to fire home.
'Pleasing win against a good side' - Reaction
Norwich City boss Dean Smith:
"That game sums up where we are at the moment.
"For the first 25 minutes or so I thought we played really well and would have more than one goal if we had taken a few more of our chances.
"Then we dropped off for the final 15 minutes of the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second and were punished for it.
"If you don't win a game you make sure you don't lose it and we go and give away a silly goal at the end. It was a very frustrating afternoon."
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick:
"It was obviously a very pleasing win against a good side.
"I don't like going behind in games but it provided us with a challenge and we showed we could come from behind to win a game while sticking to our footballing principles.
"At the moment everyone at the club is together - the staff, the players and the fans - and long may that continue."