Goals:
1-0: Bonatini (33, slotted a cool finish beyond Randolph after Ayala presented the chance to him with an awful pass)
Bookings: Miranda (28, foul); Clayton (58, foul); Forshaw (90, foul)
Referee: Darren Bond (Preston) – ignored a couple of big decisions when he could quite easily have given them the other way. 5
Attendance: 29,692
Entertainment: ***
Boro Wolves
Shots on 2 2
Shots off 8 3
Corners 4 4
Offsides 0 1
Fouls 14 13
WOLVES (3-4-3): Ruddy 7; Boly 7, Coady 7, Miranda 6; Doherty 6, Saiss 6, Neves 7, Douglas 6; ENOBAKHARE 7 (Edwards 77), Bonatini 7 (Dicko 57, 5), Jota 6 (Graham 83). Subs (not used): Norris, Bennett, Batth, Ronan.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-2-3):
6 Randolph: Could do nothing about the goal and did what he had to do at other times;
7 CHRISTIE: A very confident display down the right and he almost set an equaliser up
4 Ayala: Didn’t look at his best and will be annoyed with himself to have gifted Wolves the winner
6 Gibson: Kept plugging away but found it tough against a determined Wolves forward line
5 Friend: Had to deal with one of Wolves’ best players in Enobakhare
7 Clayton: Asked to drop deeper than he was last season and saw plenty of the ball;
5 Howson: Tried to get involved and saw the ball enough without ever really commanding things
5 De Roon: Couldn’t get a foothold on proceedings in the middle and looked frustrated;
5 Fletcher: Started brightly but soon faded and was withdrawn for Bamford in the second half
5 Braithwaite: Should have levelled things up with a glorious free header after Christie delivery
7 Assombalonga: Never stopped running in the final third, made himself a real nuisance and unlucky not to score
Subs:
Bamford (for Fletcher 57): Almost set up Assombalonga for an equaliser. 6
Forshaw (for De Roon 65): Unable to have the impact he did in the friendly when he hit a late winner
Gestede (for Howson 81)
(not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Fabio, Fry, Leadbitter.
MAN OF THE MATCH: CYRUS Christie – looks like he could be useful in attack as well as defence on the evidence of this showing.
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