AS inevitable as Tommy Conway’s goal on his Ashton Gate return was the Bristol City second half turnaround that extended Middlesbrough’s run of defeats to five games.
How crucial a victory this would have been for Boro. Even a point would have been something to build on. Instead, they once again blew a position of power and were once again left to rue and regret. The story of Boro’s season, a season which looks extremely unlikely to extend beyond 46 games.
The game-changing moment on Friday night came just after the hour mark when Bristol City boss Liam Manning turned to his bench and made three changes. After getting themselves in front eight minutes before the break, Carrick’s side had managed the early stages of the second period well. It felt like what followed would be decisive. If Boro were able to stand firm, it would have been a perfectly timed response to the criticism that has followed them throughout the campaign.
But the volume of that criticism will only rise after this, and Carrick will no doubt be on the receiving end of plenty of the flak. With Manning’s changes, City immediately wrestled back control and George Earthy, one of the substitutes, equalised 10 minutes after coming on and scored the winner 10 minutes later. It wasn’t until City’s second goal that Carrick turned to his bench. Manning was proactive, Carrick was reactive. But by the time Boro’s head coach acted, it was too late. His first change came eight minutes from time when Boro were 2-1 down.
Boro will soon find themselves running out of time in the Championship play-off race. The gap to the top six is now five points. For a side that have lost seven out of their last eight, it’s a big gap to make up, even if they do have a game in hand. It's Mark Robins's Stoke next.
And it looked so promising after Conway had fired Boro in front. He said this week a goal and a Boro win on his return to Ashton Gate was “written in the stars”. It didn’t turn out that way.
After getting the backing of chairman Steve Gibson at the start of the week, Carrick came out swinging, saying he never feared the sack and was certain he’d come through this testing spell and turn Boro’s form around. He also stressed how much he cared, and was echoed by Conway who told of the frustration and hurt in the dressing room.
The head coach and the players know, though, that it’s performances and points rather than words that matter.
Trips to Ashton Gate and games against Bristol City haven’t been kind to Boro in recent years, however. Boro are now winless in seven against the Robins and have lost their last four. And while Boro had tumbled in recent weeks, City have steadily climbed and are now sixth.
Predicting Carrick’s starting XI has been no simple task in recent weeks. The head coach’s search for a winning formula led to five changes against Sunderland, two against Sheffield United and four against Watford.
He made three alterations on Friday, with Anfernee Dijksteel and Dael Fry coming into the defence and Delano Burgzorg unsurprisingly being recalled after his baffling omission for the defeat to the Hornets. There was purpose from Burgzorg in the early stages, getting two shots away – one blocked and one easily saved by Max O’Leary.
But that was as good as it got early on for Boro, who managed just three touches in the opposition box in the opening half an hour. There was, however, some much-needed solidity at the other end, and while Bristol City had looked the more threatening, they were largely limited to shots from outside the area. Efforts from Scott Twine and Anis Mehmeti both landed on the top of the net. Mehmeti dragged one shot wide when he should have hit the target. Max Bird did hit the target after Aidan Morris’s slip-up but was denied by Travers, who took great satisfaction from again keeping out the midfielder on the stroke of half-time.
By that stage, Boro were ahead. And while Conway was the scorer, Whittaker and Iheanacho both played their part. The former looked set to be dispossessed when he hit the deck inside his own half but managed to swivel on the turf and set Iheanacho away down the right. The loanee had, in truth, been a passenger up to that point but cut inside with purpose and took aim for the far corner, his curling effort palmed away by O’Leary into the path of Conway.
Boro had something to cling to. And their advantage would have been greater had Iheanacho managed to connect with Borges’ low cross in the first minute of the second half.
After their involvement in Boro’s opener, Whittaker and Iheanacho both grew in confidence and played their part in a move that led to a shooting opportunity for Conway. But when his effort was blocked, Bristol City countered at speed, only to be again denied by Travers, who kept out Sinclair Armstrong’s low drive. Rav van den Berg was just as impressive as Travers, making superb and crucial defensive blocks in the first half and second.
Just after the hour-mark came the triple change that made the difference. Yu Harikawa, one of the substitutes, went close, with a header, and moments later delivered the cross that led to Earthy’s leveller 18 minutes from time. And he scored the winner 10 minutes later.
