Clutching the match ball that he'd earned for himself with a quite brilliant second half hat-trick, a smiling Chuba Akpom was the last off the Riverside pitch, taking in the moment and the applause from a sold-out crowd.

Akpom fired himself to the top of the Championship's goal standings with his stunning second half hat-trick in a 4-1 dismantling of Wigan that moved Boro to within touching distance of the top six.

When Boro played Wigan earlier this season they were managerless, in the relegation zone and the future looked uncertain.

How things have changed.

Now, with Michael Carrick at the helm, Boro are looking up.

And with Akpom in this sort of form, you’d be brave to bet against them finishing the season in the top six. Who'd have predicted this for Akpom at the start of the season? This was another chapter in his surprise story.

The in-form ex-Arsenal man has been a revelation under Carrick and has been key to the turnaround in the season. All three of his goals against Wigan were laid on by Ryan Giles, as they so often are.

Akpom and Forss got the goals for Boro but this victory was as much down to the fine work of a forward who didn’t find the net.

For the first time in almost two months, Carrick opted to change his team. A theme in the early stages of his tenure has been a settled side, with the head coach naming the same starting XI for six straight games. But Duncan Watmore – who scored from the bench in the defeat at Burnley and has made an impact as a substitute with his positive running – came in for Riley McGree.

And how he made his mark.

From the moment Oliver Langford blew his whistle at 3pm, Watmore looked intent on taking his chance and making a mark. He succeeded.

Just three minutes had been played when he had his first glimpse at goal as Boro started on the front foot, a glancing header from a Giles cross that flashed through the box and past the far post.

He forced Wigan keeper Jamie Jones into a smart save just before the midway point of the first half and had Wigan on their toes throughout with his energy, positivity and tireless direct running.

When Boro’s opener came on 27 minutes it was Marcuss Forss who scored, his third of the season, but the Finnish striker had Watmore to thank. Watmore was alert to the possibility of a quick throw-in from Jones down the right. He received the ball, wriggled into space before showing the awareness to pick out Forss, who prodded home.

It was an opener Boro deserved and they could have doubled their advantage soon after when Dael Fry’s header from a corner was deflected over.

Credit to Wigan, though. They responded well. Darragh Lenihan, outstanding at the heart of the home defence made a good block to deny Callum Lang after tidy build-up. From the resulting corner Charlie Hughes should have scored but instead headed over from close range.

Boro were the better team, though, and deserved their half-time lead. Watmore wasn’t the only Boro player troubling the visitors. Jones had the better of James McClean down the right and again and again Ryan Giles teased in superb deliveries from the left. What a threat he is down that flank.

His sixth assist of the season came just four minutes into the second half, the Wolves loanee playing his part in a fine team move.

It was Alex Mowatt – on at the break for captain Jonny Howson – who got the ball rolling, keeping possession calmly on the swivel midway inside the Wigan half before handing possession to midfield partner Hackney. The youngster’s through-ball to Giles was inch perfect and the left back and Chuba Akpom did the rest, the striker passing the ball into the net to all but wrap up the points.

Akpom’s second goal just before the hour mark was the finish of a striker brimming with belief. He latched onto a deflected Ryan Giles through-ball and found the bottom corner with a superb first time left-footed strike.

Wigan gave themselves a bit of hope when Thelo Aasgard struck three minutes later but the unlikeliest of comebacks was never on the cards.

And Akpom completed the perfect afternoon for himself and Boro when he struck his third goal in stoppage time.