Goals:

1-0: Vossen (3, rolled home after Bamford outpaced Stearman and squared the ball across the area)

2-0: Bamford (11, received Kalas’ cross from the right-hand side and flicked the ball up before hammering home)

2-1: Sako (53, left in space by Kalas as he received Edwards’ pass, and lashed a fierce drive past Konstantopoulos)

Bookings: Stearman (25, foul), Batth (39, foul), Sako (45, foul), Clayton (90, foul)

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston) – Might have issued Stearman with a red card before the break, but generally controlled things well 6

Attendance: 20,520

Entertainment: ****

 

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1):

6 Konstantopoulos: Might have done slightly better with Wolves’ goal, but came out to claim plenty of crosses

6 Kalas: Made some eye-catching surges down the right-hand side, but should have been much closer to Sako when he scored

7 Woodgate: Was imperious throughout the first half, and Boro’s defensive jitters intensified after he went off injured

7 Gibson: Made some important interventions to thwart Afobe and surely has to start the remaining three matches

7 Friend: As committed and energetic as ever as he covered a large amount of ground up and down the left-hand side

8 Forshaw: Has slotted in seamlessly in the last two matches – the fact that Leadbitter has hardly been missed says it all

7 Clayton: Another industrious and effective display from the central midfielder, who has been one of the unsung heroes of the season

8 ADOMAH: Created all sorts of problems down the right-hand side, and almost scored one of the goals of the season before injury forced him off

7 Vossen: Justified his recall to the starting side with a coolly-taken opener and troubled the Wolves defence all night

6 Tomlin: Doesn’t always look completely at home on the left-hand side, but cut inside to good effect on a number of occasions

8 Bamford: Set up Vossen’s opener, scored a superb goal of his own and hit the crossbar with an impudent chip in stoppage time

 

Subs:

6 Omeruo (for Woodgate, 62): Helped to shore things up after Woodgate’s injury and won a couple of crucial headers

Nsue (for Vossen, 74)

Amorebieta (for Adomah, 80)

(not used): Ripley (gk), Whitehead, Ledesma, Kike.

 

WOLVES (4-5-1):

Ikeme 6; Iorfa 5, Batth 4, Stearman 5, Hause 3 (Golbourne 46, 6); McDonald 5, Price 5 (Price 63, 6), VAN LA PARRA 7 (Jacobs 77), Edwards 6, Sako 7; Afobe 6.

Subs (not used): Kuszczak (gk), Henry, Ebanks-Landell, Doyle.

 

Man Of The Match: ALBERT ADOMAH – The Middlesbrough winger ran his opposing full-back ragged during the first half, and it is to be hoped his second-half injury is not too severe.