Source: Team_Talk
Five-star Boro break Strachan duck
Boro boss Strachan celebrated a maiden victory at the fifth attempt as Leroy Lita's brace and goals from Dave Kitson, Gary O'Neil and Mark Yeates sank sorry Rangers.[LNB]Kitson and Lita put Boro 2-0 up before Patrick Agyemang pulled one back. But instead of folding under the pressure, Boro stepped up a gear and Lita hit the third before O'Neil and Yeates put the icing on the cake.[LNB]Rangers' promotion push is in danger of coming off the rails, however, with Jim Magilton's side having won just once in their last six outings.[LNB]The hosts were actually the livelier side in the opening stages with Wayne Routledge linking up well with Adel Taarabt, although the on-loan Tottenham star's finishing was wayward.[LNB]Home midfielder Mikele Leigertwood headed Ben Watson's corner over and eight-goal top scorer Jay Simpson fired wide.[LNB]But Boro looked dangerous on the break and Lita shot straight at Radek Cerny before, out of nothing, Yeates crashed a 25-yard shot against the crossbar.[LNB]Sean St Ledger forced a fine save from Cerny after being teed-up by Kitson, but the former Spurs goalkeeper could do nothing about Boro's opener on the half hour.[LNB]Fitz Hall was booked for a clumsy tackle on Yeates and O'Neil swung in the resulting free-kick which was turned in by the out-stretched boot of Kitson.[LNB]The on-loan frontman has managed just two top-flight goals since joining Stoke last summer, but he has no such problems in the Championship and grabbed his third in three games for the Teessiders.[LNB]O'Neil thought he had grabbed a second before the break with a superb long-range shot but Cerny pulled off a fine save.[LNB]But Boro did double their lead when Watson handled in the area three minutes after half-time.[LNB]The ball was bundled into the net but referee Phil Gibbs had already pointed to the spot, and the official avoided a potentially awkward moment when Lita blasted the penalty past Cerny.[LNB]Magilton responded with a double substitution which paid immediate dividends, Rowan Vine's first touch a cross to fellow sub Agyemang who swept the ball past Brad Jones.[LNB]But Lita struck again on the hour mark when he latched onto a mistake from Leigertwood, cut inside and rifled an unstoppable shot past Cerny.[LNB]Lita was denied a hat-trick when another drive crashed off the post but O'Neil was on hand to tuck in the rebound.[LNB]And Yeates wrapped up a convincing win when he broke clear, ignored Lita's pleas for a square pass and coolly curled the ball past Cerny.[LNB][LNB]
