ANOTHER home win, another clean sheet. And on the day that Sheffield United dropped points at Rotherham United, another message from Middlesbrough to their rivals that they’re not going away.

Ahead of the visit of struggling Blackpool, Carrick had warned that there’s no such thing as a Championship walkover, but his Boro side made it look relatively easy, coasting to their second 3-0 win over the Seasiders this season.

It’s quite remarkable to think Boro were below Blackpool in the Championship table ahead of their Bloomfield Road meeting in November. Boro’s success that day was the start of their charge up the table; Blackpool haven’t won since.

Little surprise, then, that Boro were deemed Saturday’s Championship bankers in the eyes of the bookies. Dealing with expectation is part and parcel of life at the top end of the Championship but Boro coped just fine here – helped in no small part by the inspired Chuba Akpom, who added two more goals to take his tally to the season for 16 in the league.

His first, to put Boro ahead, was a work of art. He doubled his tally and Boro’s lead after the break before Paddy McNair, who kept his place in the team despite Dael Fry being available again, scored his first goal of the season to make it three.

Boro’s win at Blackpool earlier in the season lifted them to 16th in the table. Now they’re third, and although Sheffield United are still 10 points ahead, Boro are looking up rather than over their shoulder at what’s happening behind.

To cap off a good day’s work for Boro, Dan Barlaser made his debut from the bench, on for the final 25 minutes. By that stage, Boro were 2-0 up and well on their way to another deserved victory.

They dominated from the get-go against Blackpool, very nearly opening the scoring with just 10 minutes on the clock when Darragh Lenihan’s glancing header clipped off the underside of the bar before hitting the unaware McNair and rolling into the hands of grateful Blackpool keeper Chris Maxwell.

McNair kept his place in the side after last week’s impressive showing against Watford, with Fry having to settle for a spot on the bench, alongside Barlaser. The midfielder was applauded by the home fans as he trotted out to warm-up early in the first half.

Cameron Archer was leading the line again after his blistering Watford showing and he showed his speed and strength to tee up a chance for McGree after quarter-of-an-hour. Archer shrugged off former Boro target Charlie Goode before playing the ball into the path of the Australian international, who was denied by Maxwell.

There was nothing the visiting keeper could do to keep out the league’s top scorer Akpom, though, who opened the scoring thanks to a moment of pure class. There was plenty of Blackpool bodies between Akpom and the goal when he received the ball in the box, but he superbly shifted onto his right foot and found the top corner.

The Seasiders advanced into threatening positions on a couple of occasions in the first half but didn’t manage a single shot on target and after falling behind found themselves chasing as Boro calmly kept the ball. Boro had almost 80% of possession in the opening period.

Boro were saved by the flag and the crossbar in the early stages of the second half.

Jerry Yates had the ball in the net shortly after the break but his goal was ruled out for offside. There was no flag 10 minutes later when Yates was free in the box but his header crashed back off the bar.

Yates should have scored at one end and Akpom did at the other, as Boro’s top scorer made the Seasiders pay. He was picked out superbly by McGree with an inch perfect through-ball and made no mistake.

A couple of goals up and comfortable, Barlaser was introduced in place of Hackney.

And two soon became three for Boro, a Giles corner glanced on by Lenihan into the path of McNair, who steered home.