Middlesbrough Defeats West Brom 2-1 To Maintain Championship Lead

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Middlesbrough secured a 2-1 victory over West Brom at Riverside Stadium, strengthening their lead in the Championship. Goals from David Strelec and Kely Sene ensured Rob Edward's team moved four points ahead of Stoke City. Aune Heggebo scored a late goal for West Brom, but it was not enough to change the outcome.

Strelec made an immediate impact on his home debut by scoring after 26 minutes. Luke Ayling's flick from a long throw set up Strelec, who stretched to send the ball past Josh Griffiths. West Brom struggled to find an equaliser, allowing Boro to extend their lead shortly after the hour mark.

Sene, who came on for Strelec at half-time, combined well with Tommy Conway and Hayden Hackney before slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner. This goal seemed to secure victory for Boro until Heggebo added tension with a late header past Sol Brynn in the 90th minute.

Despite West Brom's late efforts, Middlesbrough held firm to claim all three points and maintain their position at the top of the league. The win marked Boro's fourth consecutive league victory over West Brom, a feat last achieved between 1994 and 1997.

West Brom's struggles at Riverside Stadium continued as they have only managed one win in their last eight visits. Their sole victory came in October 2019 under Slaven Bilic, with Hal Robson-Kanu scoring the decisive goal. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough outperformed their expected goals (xG) of 0.96 compared to West Brom's 0.89.

The match highlighted Middlesbrough's clinical finishing despite a slow end to the game. They managed to hold off West Brom's attempts and secure another week at the Championship summit.