Middlesbrough vs Watford. Sky Bet Championship.
Riverside StadiumAttendance28,289.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Watford at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday | In-form frontman Emmanuel Latte Lath scores eighth goal in six games as Boro sign off with a win
Saturday 4 May 2024 16:07, UK
Emmanuel Latte Lath continued his blistering form as Middlesbrough signed off for the summer with a 3-1 home victory over Watford.
The Championship's player of the month for April scored his 11th goal in 12 games to set Michael Carrick's side on their way at the Riverside.
Wesley Hoedt equalised for the Hornets in the second half, but Boro hit back immediately and secured a deserved victory thanks to late goals from substitute Alex Bangura and Isaiah Jones.
Boro endured a seven-game winless run to start the season but ended the campaign with just one defeat in their last 12 and finished eighth. Watford won just two of their last 13 games and finished 15th.
Tom Cleverley's side were first to threaten when Vakoun Bayo forced a close-range save out of Seny Dieng after meeting Ken Sema's cross.
But Boro soon took charge, with in-form striker Latte Lath lively and dangerous from the off.
The Ivorian threatened early on when he raced in behind but was denied by a last-gasp sliding challenge from Hoedt.
He then tried to tee up the unmarked Alex Gilbert inside the box moments later but delayed his pass slightly and Watford cleared.
The visiting side's relief was short-lived, though, and Latte Lath fired Boro in front just before the half-hour mark when he swept home a cross from Leeds loanee Luke Ayling.
Watford had a chance to draw level immediately, but Mileta Rajovic lacked the composure Latte Lath had shown at the other end and blazed his strike over.
Bayo had a glorious chance to equalise for the Hornets early in the second half but was denied by Boro forward Gilbert, who raced back and made a terrific last-ditch challenge.
Gilbert then nearly doubled Boro's lead, curling just over the bar from the edge of the box.
Matt Clarke came to Boro's rescue in what was an end-to-end start to the second half, the centre-half stepping in well and clearing from underneath his own crossbar.
A week after scoring his first Boro goal, defender Clarke almost added another, heading just wide.
But 17 minutes from time, Watford drew level, Hoedt first to Yaser Asprilla's corner and glancing a header into the far corner.
Parity lasted just five minutes, with Boro's substitutes combining to put the home side back in front.
Sam Greenwood wriggled into space in the box and crossed for left-back Bangura, who found the bottom corner.
Boro wrapped up the win six minutes later when Ayling cut the ball back for Jones, who finished emphatically.
Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:
"We've hoped and known the potential he [Latte Lath] had and his strengths and attributes.
"He's had a really incredible patch in terms of scoring goals and there's no reason he can't build on that going into next year."
"The spirit has gone an awful long way to helping us on this run at the end of the season.
"There's a feeling of positivity after a win and run like that and a lot of feel-good inside the group. The other side is when you pull away from it how close we've come.
"There's the feeling that we didn't want the season to end, but I'm not sure the lads will be thinking that when they're sat on a beach!
"The feel around the stadium at the end, there was real happiness and a connection between the fans and players and we need to build on that next season."
Watford's Tom Cleverley:
"I've no complaints with the result.
"I thought they just showed more personality with the ball than us. They stayed calm and played around us which made it difficult.
"I've told the lads that's something for me to address, because I feel we are nowhere near unlocking the potential of this team in possession.
"I'm frustrated. The fans got up at 4.30am to come here and it will be just as bad a journey back as it was up.
"I've said, personally I joined the club as a player when they were 16th or 17th in the Premier League. It didn't sit right with me retiring in the league below. I'll do everything I can to get us where we want to be."
