Middlesbrough beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 at the Riverside on Saturday, a Will Lankshear brace either side of a Jimmy-Jay Morgan leveller for West Brom before Alfie Jones settled it in the 86th minute.
Lankshear put Middlesbrough ahead in the 47th minute and restored their lead in the 72nd, both goals coming from rebounds off West Brom goalkeeper Max O'Leary. The double took the summer signing from Tottenham to six goals in five games for his new club. Morgan had levelled in between, scoring in the 64th minute, before Jones, sent on in the 68th minute for Morgan Whittaker, made it 3-1 in the 86th minute.
Riley McGree, sidelined for the World Cup by injury, returned to the Middlesbrough side and lasted 69 minutes before he was replaced. West Brom's Ousmane Diakité picked up the game's only caution, for a foul on the hour. Middlesbrough had the better of the chances despite seeing less of the ball, managing 15 shots to West Brom's 12 and six on target to four, with 46.6% possession to the visitors' 53.4%; the hosts also won more corners, seven to six, while conceding far more fouls, 15 to six.
The win was Middlesbrough's second in three league games this season, following an opening victory over Lincoln City and a defeat at Blackburn Rovers, and completed a good week that had also brought a Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers in midweek. West Brom, who had beaten Norwich City and Burnley in their first two matches, suffered their first league defeat of the season.