Sky Bet Championship: Middlesbrough make it five consecutive defeats; Swansea beat Brentford again
A review of the Sky Bet Championship action on Tuesday, where Middlesbrough were sentenced to their fifth defeat in a row.
Results
- Middlesbrough 0-1 Bristol City
- Swansea 3-0 Brentford
Boro suffer fifth consecutive defeat
Bristol City moved into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places as Adam Webster's first-half header secured a 1-0 win at out-of-form Middlesbrough.
Having beaten Sheffield United on Saturday, Lee Johnson's side saw off another of their promotion rivals as they leapfrogged Derby and Aston Villa to move into the top six.
Middlesbrough had plenty of opportunities, but Jonny Howson and Britt Assombalonga both hit the frame of the goal on another frustrating night for the hosts.
Boro have now suffered five defeats in a row, and have slipped two points adrift of the play-off positions as their form has imploded at a critical stage of the season.
Even the long-awaited return of Stewart Downing was unable to help them, with the former England international failing to arrest a goalless run that now stands at three games.
Downing returned to Middlesbrough's Championship starting line-up for the first time in 2019 after signing a waiver that scrapped the automatic award of a new one-year contract.
The 34-year-old was prominent from the outset, setting up Assombalonga for the first of three golden first-half chances that went begging for Middlesbrough.
Assombalonga saw his goalbound header hacked clear by Bailey Wright, George Saville blazed over the crossbar after Ryan Shotton rolled the ball into his path and Howson took an age to steady himself in the box before firing a wasteful effort into the legs of goalkeeper Max O'Leary.
Howson went even closer moments later, firing in a deflected effort that somehow stayed out after cannoning off the inside of a post, and Boro were made to pay for their profligacy when the Robins opened the scoring against the run of play shortly after the half-hour mark.
Jay Dasilva swung over a corner from the right, and Webster was completely unmarked as he powered home a header from the edge of the six-yard box.
Dyer brace beats the Bees
Swansea ended a run of four games without a win as a first-half brace from Nathan Dyer helped Graham Potter's men seal a 3-0 Championship victory over a poor Brentford side.
Dyer opened the scoring with less than a minute played and then added a second for his first league goals for Swansea since August 2014.
Brentford offered nothing as an attacking force in the opening 45 minutes and, although they improved after the break, they were well beaten.
Daniel James added Swansea's third with the goal his outstanding performance deserved.
Swansea were ahead with just 32 seconds on the clock.
Mads Bech Sorensen's awful back pass sold Luke Daniels short, the Brentford goalkeeper bringing down the onrushing James, but Dyer was there for an easy tap-in.
Daniels was booked for the foul after referee Peter Bankes had played a fine advantage.
It was all Swansea and James cut inside from the left wing and on to his right foot before unleashing a powerful curling effort which rebounded off the crossbar with Daniels well beaten.
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