Match Report: Boro 5 Norwich City 1

Brilliant Boro blew Norwich City away at the Riverside Stadium, netting five at home for the second time this season.

Aaron Ramsey, Hayden Hackney, Cameron Archer (x2) and Chuba Akpom completed the Riverside rout, lifting Boro up to third in the Championship table.

Enduring an afternoon of torrential rain on Teesside, Michael Carrick made a solitary change to the side that battled back against Bristol City, Cameron Archer replacing Matt Crooks as the focal point of the attack.

It was the visitors who created the game’s first clear chance with Josh Sargent trickling wide, but the Canaries would come to instantly rue their missed opportunity as Aaron Ramsey, against his former loan club, rounded off an excellent move by tapping in at the back stick.

Having broken the deadlock, Ramsey’s neat footwork proved too hot to handle for the Norwich defence and he was the subject of a few niggly fouls before a miss-timed challenge from Max Aarons ended his evening midway through the first half.

Alex Mowatt was the man chosen to replace Ramsey and the substitute was immediately thrown into the action, clearing a loose ball in the area after Steffen’s fine double save prevented fellow USA international Sargent.

From there it was all Boro. Only a last-gasp block prevented Cameron Archer from shooting, Darragh Lenihan had a header ruled out for offside but Carrick’s men finally had a deserved second goal when Hayden Hackney delightfully met Marcus Forss’ cross, arrowing a volley into the corner for his first Riverside strike.

Two soon became three minutes later. Boro were infuriated at a tame free-kick awarded to Norwich by the corner flag but responded in brilliant fashion to claim possession from the dead ball.

Mowatt’s eye-through-a-needle pass found Archer inside the area and the Villa loanee cushioned a third into the far corner.

The sole dampener on an otherwise perfect first 45 was the Canaries’ response, Sargent eventually getting the better of Steffen.

Yet, Boro made amends in stoppage time, Archer rattling in a fourth after Norwich made a mess of clearing Giles’ free-kick.

While the visitors licked their wounds during the interval, Boro showed no mercy as the match resumed. On a hat-trick, unselfish play by Archer saw him pick out the arriving Chuba Akpom who, like Ramsey for Boro’s first, was left with the simplest of finishes from mere yards out.

As Norwich pushed for a route back into the contest, Gabriel Sara struck the upright and appeals for a penalty on Max Aarons were waved away by referee Josh Smith.

Lining one up against his former side, captain Jonny Howson almost boosted the impressive scoreline further, sending a half volley over the crossbar before a lovely one-two between Isaiah Jones and Akpom so nearly carved out an opening for Archer.

Archer's hat-trick chance did arrive with two minutes remaining on the clock, Angus Gunn pushing his low strike wide.