EMMANUEL LEDESMA marked his return to Middlesdrough with a goal to help extend the gap at the top of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Second Division to five points.
Ledesma, who returned from a loan to Brighton this week, and Mark Kitching struck the goals to seal a well-earned 2-0 win over Stoke City.
The Argentine forward struck a spectacular opener in the 24th minute when he picked out the top corner with a rasping 20-yard drive.
And nine minutes later Kitching hammered the second beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the box after Tom McAloon had seen his shot blocked.
Stoke went close a couple of times after that but Middlesbrough had already done enough to go further clear at the top of the division.
Middlesbrough: Fryer, Weledji, Fry, Bennett, Maolney (Wheatley), Kitching, Brobbel, McAloon (Morelli), Mondal, Ledesma. Subs (not used): Coddington, Johnson, Elsdon.
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