How did the players fare in Middlesbrough's Carabao Cup defeat to Burton Albion?
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-3-3):
5 Randolph: Didn’t have much of a chance with the goal, and wasn’t really tested either side of Hesketh’s strike
5 Fry: Returned on the right of a flat back four, but struggled to keep tabs on Harness in the second half
4 Batth: Fluffed his lines completely when he misjudged the flight of an aerial ball in the second half and didn’t look especially secure all night
4 Flint: Will still be wondering how on earth he directed a late diving header wide of the target from three yards
5 Friend: Tried to get forward down the left-hand side, but too many of his balls into the box failed to find their target
6 Wing: Was one of Boro’s brighter sparks, even if some of his through balls were either misdirected or over-hit
5 Leadbitter: Tried to hold things together at the heart of midfield, but found Burton’s players passing around him
5 Besic: Returned to the side after missing the QPR defeat through suspension, but failed to offer much in the final third
6 DOWNING: Got Boro on the front foot in the first half and came close with a free-kick, but dropped out of the game in the second half
4 Hugill: Wasted a decent first-half chance by shooting straight at the goalkeeper and lacked the pace required to stretch the Burton defence
3 Braithwaite: Looked a yard off the pace for most of the night, and wasted a couple of decent positions with a poor first touch
Subs:
6 Tavernier (for Besic, 63): Tried to get Boro going late on, and delivered an excellent cross that Flint headed wide
5 Assombalonga (for Hugill, 63): Wasn’t able to make the impact that was hoped of him in the closing stages
Fletcher (for Braithwaite, 71)
(not used): Lonergan (gk), Ayala, McNair, Saville.
BURTON (5-4-1):
Collins 7; HARNESS 9, Brayford 8, Buxton 8, Turner 7, Hutchinson 7; Hesketh 8 (Fox 81), Quinn 6, Allen 7, Fraser 7; Akins 6.
Subs (not used): Evtimov (gk), Sbarra, McCrory, Miller, Hodge, Wallace.
Man Of The Match: MARCUS HARNESS – The Burton man played in a host of different positions as his side shuffled formations, and excelled in all of them.
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