Buoyant Boro up to third

03 October 2009 17:08
Reading 0 Middlesbrough 2 GARETH SOUTHGATE remarked this week that his young side may find it easier playing away from the Riverside with the home fans lacking patience with a team who currently lie third in the Championship. If the performance at Reading was anything to go by he could well be right. The pressure appeared to be off at the Madejski following the 1-0 midweek home defeat to Leicester and Southgates young side revelled in an apparent freedom. The Boro boss had responded to Tuesday nights reverse by dropping both Julio Arca and Marvin Emnes. Leroy Lita was handed a start against the club where he made his name with Mark Yeates slotting into a wide midfield role Boro always looked capable of ending a run of three games without a win. They ran with the ball were first to the tackle and, unlike at Coventry last weekend, when they went two up they never looked like letting the Royals back in it. With more than 1,500 Boro fans giving their full support goals from Sean St Ledger and Leroy Lita either side of half-time gave the Teessiders a thoroughly deserved victory. Reading (4-5-1): Federici; Cummings, Ingimarsson ODea, Bertrand, Kebe (Hunt 46), Howard, Karacan, Gunnarsson (Sigurdsson, 56), McAnuff, Church. Subs: Hamer (gk); Cisse, Mills, Matejovsky, Hunt, Sigurdsson, Pearce Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Jones, McMahon, Wheater, St Ledger, Bennett, Yeates (Arac, 71), ONeil, Williams, Johnson, Aliadiere, Lita (Emnes 88). Subs: Coyne (gk); Hoyte, Hines, Grounds, Arca, Digard, Emnes.

Source: Northern_Echo