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Middlesbrough climb to fifth place following victory over struggling Blackburn

Middlesbrough climb to fifth place following victory over struggling Blackburn

Middlesbrough moved up to fifth place in the Championship after defeating struggling Blackburn 2-0, putting Valerien Ismael and the club's leadership under more pressure at Ewood Park.

In the midst of fan protests against the Venky's Group, who have owned Blackburn since 2010, Boro scored two quick goals in the first eight minutes to take the lead.

Tommy Conway scored a great goal in under 90 seconds to beat Aynsley Pears, followed swiftly by a deflected shot from Samuel Iling-Junior.

With their fifth win in seven games, Middlesbrough climbed above West Brom and Coventry into the play-off spots. On the other hand, Blackburn suffered their fifth consecutive league defeat, the first time since February 2021, and Ismael is still looking for his first win in six matches since taking over from John Eustace on February 25.

Blackburn's first home game after a supporters' group called for key figures to stay away from Ewood Park was marked by continuous chants against the club's owners.

The situation worsened when Boro scored before Blackburn could settle into the game.

Conway scored his 12th goal of the season brilliantly, receiving a pass from Kelechi Iheanacho, turning around Joe Rankin-Costello, and finishing past Pears.

Six minutes later, Iling-Junior made it 2-0, with Iheanacho providing the assist again. Danny Batth's attempt to clear the ball ended up deflecting it past Pears in front of the vocal Blackburn fans.

Middlesbrough looked more dynamic and quicker than Blackburn, who did not trouble Mark Travers in the first half. They could have extended their lead to three with Iheanacho missing an opportunity set up by Delano Burgzorg.

Tempers flared on the pitch as well, with Makhtar Gueye receiving a yellow card for a bad tackle and sparking further controversy with a raised arm challenge on Neto Borges, who had to leave the field injured.

Blackburn showed improvement in the second half, with Todd Cantwell coming close in the 54th minute.

Despite Blackburn's resurgence, Middlesbrough continued to create chances. Poor decisions and finishing in the final third kept the game within reach for Blackburn.

Yuki Ohashi had late opportunities for Blackburn, testing Travers with strong shots, but ultimately, it ended in a defeat that raised more questions for those in charge at Ewood Park.