West Brom 0 Middlesbrough 1: Hayden Hackney scores winner for Boro

Having opened his account for the campaign in spectacular fashion during Saturday’s home win over Stoke City, the Middlesbrough midfielder produced another picture-book finish to down the league leaders at the Hawthorns.

Hackney’s side-footed second-half strike handed Boro a deserved victory over West Brom, fuelling the sense that Michael Carrick’s side are beginning to hit top gear.

Their latest victory would have been even more emphatic had Riley McGree and substitute Delano Burgzorg not failed to hit the target with excellent opportunities, with Boro clinically outplaying their opponents, who ceded top spot as they suffered their first home defeat of the season.

An evening that ended with celebrations in the away end began in a strange manner, with assistant referee, Rob Smith, requiring medical attention just six minutes in and having to leave on a stretcher.

Boro had started brightly prior to the enforced hiatus, with Hackney firing over after a pull-back from Ben Doak, and while the pause dampened down the atmosphere inside the Hawthorns, it did nothing to halt the visitors’ momentum.

With Doak and Finn Azaz linking up effectively down the right-hand side, the Teessiders counter-attacked with pace and purpose throughout the first half and should have claimed the lead midway through the opening period.

Doak’s enterprising running enabled him to tee up Finn Azaz in the area, and while the midfielder’s shot was parried by Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer, the ball dropped invitingly for McGree who was unmarked close to the penalty spot. The Australian had time to pick his spot, but blazed wastefully over the crossbar.

Four minutes later, and Boro were going close again. Luke Ayling slung over a deep cross from the right, but while Emmanuel Latte Lath’s instinctive header was on target, Palmer got down well to claw the ball around the post.

John Swift fired over as West Brom finally threatened themselves towards the end of the first half, but with the returning Rav van den Berg slipping in seamlessly to partner George Edmundson at the heart of the back four, Boro were well-organised and resolute. Indeed, if anything, playing against opponents who were looking to dominate possession seemed to suit Carrick’s side.

That said, though, they were indebted to Seny Dieng shortly before the break, with the Senegalese shot-stopper producing a fine point-blank save after Josh Maja rolled the ball into Jed Wallace’s path in the box.

While Boro undoubtedly shaded the opening period, the second half was more evenly matched than the first with both sides undermining some bright passing play with a series of errant final balls.

Edmundson and van den Berg both made important blocks to prevent first John Swift and then Uros Racic from getting shots away just before the hour mark, while at the other end, Azaz was denied by some smart West Brom defending that saw his shot deflect wide. From the resultant corner, Ayling flashed a header just wide at the front post.

It was threatening to be a night of ‘nearly’ moments, and as if to prove the point, Doak held off Torbjorn Heggem to reach Hackney’s floated long ball, only for his shot to be saved from Palmer. Again, Azaz picked out a Boro player from the subsequent corner; again, though, a headed effort flashed wide of the post. This time, it was Latte Lath failing to find the target.

Boro remained on the front foot though, and their growing dominance was finally rewarded with 17 minutes left. It was a lovely goal, with Doak and McGree coming to set up Hackney in the area.

There was still plenty to do when the midfielder sized up his first-time effort, but after scoring a screamer against Stoke at the weekend, he made it two fine goals in the space of four days as he slotted a precise finish into the bottom left-hand corner.