Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull City: Home side score three goals in six minutes
- Published
- comments
Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom is the Championship's top scorer with 28 league goals this season
A three-goal blitz in six minutes saw Middlesbrough fight back from a goal down to keep their very slim Championship automatic promotion hopes alive with victory over Hull City.
The Tigers took a deserved lead before the break when Allahyar Sayyadmanesh headed home Adama Traore's near post corner.
Hayden Hackney levelled for the hosts with a composed finish from sub Isaiah Jones' low centre and Cameron Archer quickly slotted them into the lead when the Hull defence failed to deal with a long ball up the pitch.
Championship top scorer Chuba Akpom then slammed home his side's third and his 29th goal of the campaign to secure the points against a shell-shocked Tigers.
Akpom has now scored in nine successive home matches and probably should have added to his tally later on as the home side continued to press for more goals.
Michael Carrick's men, who must win their final three games and hope Sheffield United pick up a maximum of one point from their remaining four matches if they are to pinch second place, have now scored eight in their past two matches.
Boro thumped Norwich 5-1 on Friday and looked to pick up where they left off, as Hackney, who scored his side's second against the Canaries, saw a low drive come crashing back off the post inside the first five minutes.
Hull grew into the contest though and Dimitrios Pelkas should have hit the target after he was teed up on the edge of the area after a neat passing move opened the home side up.
Marcus Forss was denied the opener by a fine save from Karl Darlow in the Hull goal and Cameron Archer flashed a shot wide before Sayyadmanesh headed in his second goal of the season.
Carrick brought on Anfernee Djiksteel and Jones at the break and the changes paid almost immediate dividends when the latter hared after Akpom's wonderfully weighted pass from the halfway line and teed up Hackney for the equaliser.
Aston Villa loanee Archer made the most of uncertainty between Sean McLoughlin and Darlow to slide a low shot home and Akpom then got in on the act with a crisp shot across goal after controlling another low Jones cross into box.
Boro could and perhaps should have added more gloss to the scoreline but three was enough and their attention will now turn to a huge game at third-placed Luton Town on Monday.
This was a first defeat in six for Hull, who now host out-of-sorts Watford on Saturday.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"It wasn't a terrific first half by any stretch but I think they're a really good team with how they make you work and I knew if we weren't quite at it and it would be a tough night for us.
"We spoke about going for it and being brave at half time and we were at a different level in the second half.
"I'm delighted with the boys who came off the bench because they were ready when we needed them. They've maybe not always been my biggest fans because I've not played them but I told them they would get an opportunity.
"It's good to have goals in the team and I think (scoring in quick succession) shows the belief and momentum we have. We had chances to score more tonight."
Hull City boss Liam Rosenior told BBC Radio Humberside:
"I watched them have five shots on target against Norwich and score five goals. They can do that to teams. The disappointment for me is when we are under pressure we have to stick to the plan and keep calm. The second goal was just a long kick down our throats from the goalkeeper and we started to panic after that.
"I think everyone watching that game can see that we can play some top stuff at this level but we have to find the consistency.
"We had complete control in the first half. Their fans were booing before half-time because they were frustrated.
"There are real plus points to take from this even though it doesn't feel like it at the moment."