Middlesbrough vs Norwich City. Sky Bet Championship.
Riverside Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Championship clash between Middlesbrough and Norwich City at the Riverside Stadium as substitute Teemu Pukki scored the winner from the spot after Marcus Tavernier's penalty misfortune for Boro when he slipped to make a double touch
Saturday 21 November 2020 18:40, UK
Teemu Pukki emerged from the bench to hit the winner to lift Norwich top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-0 win at Middlesbrough.
It was a tale of two second-half penalties at the Riverside Stadium, where Boro's 10-match unbeaten run came to an end.
Middlesbrough had the first chance to take the lead from the spot early in the second half. But Marcus Tavernier's costly slip when taking it, leading to a double touch, meant the opener was ruled out.
However, Norwich striker Pukki made no mistake with 18 minutes remaining when he rolled into the bottom corner after Max Aarons was brought down by Hayden Coulson.
That was the first goal conceded by Boro in 452 minutes of football and Pukki's calmness was enough to extend the Canaries' unbeaten run to eight games.
Middlesbrough had the best opening of the first half when Norwich struggled to cause any real problems for Marcus Bettinelli in the home goal.
That was largely because when the visitors, who started with Teessider Jordan Hugill in attack, did push on they found a Middlesbrough defence too strong with Dael Fry excellent at the heart of it.
The nearest Norwich came to scoring was early on when Emiliano Buendia curled an effort from 22 yards just wide of Bettinelli's right-hand post.
There was also a Lukas Rupp effort that was wayward following a decent run inside, while Fry made an excellent block to deny Przemyslaw Placheta.
Aside from those it tended to be Middlesbrough doing the early pressing, even though Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul was hardly seriously tested either.
Former Boro defender Ben Gibson, back at the Riverside for the first time since leaving for Burnley in 2018, made a crucial block from a dangerous Djed Spence delivery just before the half hour.
After that there was a routine catch for Krul from a Jonny Howson header and another strong low stop by the Dutchman when Marvin Johnson drilled low from space 20 yards from goal.
The only other real talking point of that half was when Johnson was lucky to escape punishment for kicking out at Buendia, as the two tussled off the ball. Neither was booked.
Referee Tony Harrington was in the thick of things soon after the break too when he pointed to the spot after Gibson tripped Tavernier.
But the Boro man's slip as he took the penalty resulted in the illegal double touch. Norwich were awarded a free-kick despite the ball ending in the net.
The Canaries looked more dangerous after that. Buendia went close a couple of times and substitute Pukki shaved the side-netting before Warnock introduced young wingers Coulson and Sam Folarin.
With 18 minutes left Coulson tripped Aarons in the area and Norwich had their chance from the spot. Pukki, unlike Tavernier, found the net without complication for his fifth goal of the season, sending Bettinelli the wrong way.
Neither goalkeeper was posed many questions after that and Norwich did the job to secure the points.
Middlesbrough's Neil Warnock: "That is how it goes, if you slip (like Tavernier did). We have had a few lads slip today. We will have to blame the groundsman. It was a game of two penalties. You need a bit of luck. When Sam [Folarin] goes past that kid on the far side with 10 (minutes) to go, and he doesn't send off [Jacob Sorensen] for a second booking, it was worse than the first. He didn't even book him.
"And for then for him to say to me after the game he didn't think Sam was going to catch the ball, and the ball was only going to go 10 yards maximum when you look at it back, 15 at most, and Sam will be through. Why is he telling me that, because he knows he is completely wrong? The officials all know he should have got sent off.
"Why haven't we got officials that know what they are doing? It is a disgrace. Why is he saying that? Is he telling a lie? Or did he actually think that? I will have to write down and ask. Maybe I should ask the referee's chief. It will come back 'no, he should have sent him off'. What good is that to me? And I felt he had a decent game today, so how do I mark him? That's the best I have seen him play, I have had some nightmares with him. That's as good as I have seen him referee and he got it completely wrong there."
Norwich's Daniel Farke: "Everyone is allowed a view. Jacob is one of the fairest players on the planet. He was booked for a yellow in the first half, probably for his first foul. His second foul was late in the game. It wasn't a tactical foul. I don't think it was a red card. Neil's experience, he is allowed to ask for whatever he wants. It was not a key scene of the game.
"Even if we had gone down to 10 men I am pretty sure we would have won the game. I don't think it was yellow or red card. It feels like a massive win for us. To stay unbeaten after this tough run is good for the mood, confidence, and for the table. Our position after 12 games, we are not addicted to it. What is important is where you after 46 games. I am happy with the points we have, that is the most important topic."
