Middlesbrough fell 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday at Ewood Park. Jeremy Sarmiento opened the scoring for the Boro side after 12 minutes, but Blackburn, managed by former Boro icon Tony Mowbray, turned the game around with two quick goals to secure a win.
Sarmiento’s early strike was a textbook example of the attacking style the new manager Kim Hellberg has been building. The 24‑year‑old drifted down the left, cut inside and finished with a neat left‑footed shot past goalkeeper Balasz Toth. The goal was described as “quick, incisive and nice on the eye” and gave Boro a promising start.
Blackburn’s comeback began with a goal from Icelandic striker Andri Gudjohnsen. The opener came from a sloppy play in possession that produced two quick corners; the second corner saw Gudjohnsen head home after a run down the left and a cut‑back from Dapo Afolayan. The goal was followed by a second from the same area, with a run down the left, a pass to the edge of the box and a cross that was not cleared, allowing Cantwell to score.
Defensive lapses were the main theme of the match. Boro’s backline struggled to maintain shape during the six‑minute period when Blackburn scored twice. Vitek made a number of saves, while Luke Ayling’s experience was vital in denying Ryoya Morishita a goal‑line clearance. The 19‑year‑old central defender Tom Atcheson was named player of the match for his work in nullifying Will Lankshear, who was unable to test the Blackburn goal.
The midfield partnership of Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter also struggled. Morris, who had missed a chunk of pre‑season through injury, was placed in and around the penalty area to pick locks, while Berhalter played more as a linchpin in front of the two central defenders. The pair’s lack of rhythm was evident as the game went into the final 20 minutes.
The match ended 2-1 in Blackburn’s favour.
