Middlesbrough's unbeaten Championship run came to a halt with a 2-0 defeat at the Racecourse Ground. Goals from George Thomason and Oliver Rathbone in the final twenty minutes secured the win for Wrexham, handing the league leaders their second loss of the season. This result, a 2-0 loss on Wednesday 4 November, leaves Middlesbrough first in the Championship with 28 points from 13 games, having recorded eight wins, four draws, and that single loss.
The result ends an 11-match unbeaten streak for Boro, who had scored 13 goals in their previous four outings. The absence of top scorer Will Lankshear, who has 13 goals this season in 13 appearances, was a major factor. Manager Kim Hellberg confirmed the striker missed the game with cramp suffered in Saturday's 3-0 win over Charlton, where he scored twice. That victory over Charlton on Saturday 31 October, which featured goals from Sebastian Berhalter and a Will Lankshear brace, was part of a recent run of three wins, a draw, and one loss from the last five matches.
With Lankshear unavailable, summer signing Kyle Joseph was handed only his second start in nine games as the central striker. Hellberg also switched to a back three, with Luke Ayling coming into the defence alongside Ashley Phillips and Adilson Malanda. Callum Brittain and Neto Borges operated as wing-backs.
The game was goalless until the 71st minute when Thomason fired Wrexham ahead. Rathbone sealed the points with a second goal 13 minutes later. Middlesbrough, who had made a triple substitution earlier in the half, could not find a response. The team's overall record this season shows 30 goals scored and 17 conceded, giving them a goal difference of plus thirteen.
Despite the setback, Boro remain top of the Championship with 28 points from 13 games, though their lead is now just two points over Birmingham. Their recent form shows three wins, a draw, and this loss from the last five matches. The team must now regroup quickly for a trip to Watford on Saturday 7 November, with Lankshear's fitness a key concern ahead of that fixture. The full fixtures list shows a challenging run ahead.
More detail at Sky Sports Football
