Will Lankshear's brace powered Middlesbrough to a commanding 3-0 Championship victory over Charlton at the Riverside on Saturday. The win keeps Boro top of the league table, two points clear of Swansea with 25 points from 12 games.
Sebastian Berhalter opened the scoring after 12 minutes, finishing from an Amario Cozier-Duberry assist. Lankshear doubled the lead just before half-time, converting a Berhalter pass, and sealed the points with his second goal eight minutes from time. The home side were in complete control, enjoying 58% possession and registering 16 shots to Charlton's seven, with the visitors failing to test goalkeeper Hellberg.
Dominant display
Michael Carrick's side set the tone early. Berhalter's early strike settled any nerves, and the team's 4-2-3-1 formation allowed them to dominate midfield. Lankshear's first goal, a close-range finish in the 44th minute, effectively killed the contest before the break. His late second, an unassisted effort, was his 11th of the season in just 12 appearances, making him the division's top scorer.
Charlton, managed by Jones, offered little threat. Their only shot on target was saved, and they finished the game with 14 fouls and three yellow cards. Middlesbrough's defence, marshalled by Ashley Phillips and Malanda, recorded a comfortable clean sheet.
Looking ahead
The result extends Middlesbrough's unbeaten run to five matches, with four wins and a draw in that sequence. Their recent form of WWDWW is the best in the division. Attention now turns to a midweek trip to face Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground on Wednesday. Wrexham currently sit 17th, and Boro will be confident after beating them 1-0 at home in August.
Carrick made three second-half changes, introducing Myles Peart-Harris, Sam Byram and Jeremy Sarmiento to see the game out. The manager reported a fully-fit squad to choose from for the quick turnaround in Wales, with no new injury concerns following the match.
