Middlesbrough moved to within three points of Championship leaders Coventry by heaping more misery on 10-man Preston at the Riverside.
Alan Browne returned to haunt his former club by putting Boro ahead, while Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker exploited defensive lapses to put Boro three up at half-time. Jordan Storey was red-carded shortly after the resumption and Conway rounded off the scoring to give Middlesbrough a fourth league victory in a row.
Playoff chasing Preston slipped to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions and face questions over their backline after conceding seven goals in their last two matches. Boro took a ninth-minute lead as Browne shrugged off Jamal Lewis and finished clinically from Matt Targett’s teasing through ball.
Browne missed the chance to double his and Middlesbrough’s tally by curling wide of Jack Walton’s far post, but Preston were caught again in the 28th minute. Luke Ayling’s speculative ball was latched on to by Conway, who left defenders trailing before slotting the ball through Walton’s legs.
Worse was to follow for Preston as Lewis Gibson was dispossessed on the edge of the box by Whittaker, who lashed home his 11th goal of the season. Five minutes after the restart, Storey was sent off for hauling down Conway, denying him the chance to run through on goal having dithered on the ball.
Conway would not be denied in the 54th minute, reacting first to score his second of the game after Walton parried Hayden Hackney’s free-kick. Middlesbrough’s victory turns up the pressure on Coventry, who face a trip to Norwich on Monday evening. Preston, meanwhile, have now gone 380 minutes since their last goal.
Millwall consolidated their position in the playoff places by brushing aside south London rivals Charlton with a 4-0 thumping at the Den.
An early own goal from Charlton right-back Kayne Ramsay was added to by late strikes from Caleb Taylor, Luke Cundle and Aidomo Emakhu as the high-flying Lions recorded their fourth win in six league games.
It was also their biggest victory of the season, and it left the abject Addicks hoping the gap between them and the relegation zone would not be narrowed by the later Saturday fixtures.
On Friday night, West Brom rescued a late point at Derby to end a 10-game losing streak in away league games. Patrick Agyemang put Derby in front after a fumble from Max O’Leary, making his debut in goal for the visitors. Chris Mepham forced home a header in stoppage time to earn manager Eric Ramsay his first point since taking charge and ease the Baggies’ fears of a relegation battle.
This story will be updated
