Boro’s Under-23s produced a stunning first-half display to see off Queens Park Rangers with a 5-0 win in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
Mark Tinkler’s youngsters smashed in all five goals in a blistering first 45 minutes to leapfrog their hosts and move top of Group B in the Premier League Cup.
The match had been rearranged from a scheduled December date due to a COVID outbreak for the home team, and got off to the perfect start for Boro at the Rs’ Harlington training ground when forward Calum Kavanagh volleyed home within the first minute.
It set the tone for a dominant display from a young Teessiders’ XI, and captain Isaac Fletcher capitalised on a mistake to double the advantage after a quarter of an hour.
Fletcher was on the scoresheet again before the match was 25 minutes old, this time a well-taken effort and it was four on 40 minutes when Pharrell Willis slid home.
Boro kept pushing, and Kavanagh netted again in first half stoppage time - which proved to be the end of the afternoon’s scoring as the travelling Teessiders saw out victory.
Having lost 4-2 to Blackburn Rovers in the same competition over the weekend, this first win of 2022 lifts Boro’s Under-23s above not only Rangers but also Rovers in the group standings by virtue of goal difference.
QPR and the group’s fourth team, Nottingham Forest, each have a game in hand on Boro and Blackburn, and it sets up an intriguing finale, with Tinkler’s side set to travel to Forest on 11 February. Next, though, is a return to league action and a trip to Aston Villa on Monday.
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