Star Game
Carrick’s delight as his troops sink Foxes
LEICESTER CITY 1
Vardy 85
MIDDLESBROUGH 2
Azaz 24, Silvera 37
MICHAEL Carrick praised his side’s incredible spirit after Middlesbrough secured an impressive victory away at leaders Leicester City to end their four-game winless run.
Boro completed a league double over the Foxes after Finn Azaz produced a cool finish into the top corner from Lewis O’Brien’s square pass to break the deadlock after 24 minutes, before Sam Silvera powered home to double Boro’s lead 13 minutes later.
Despite Jamie Vardy finding the bottom corner with five minutes left to play, Boro held on to claim their first-ever win at the King Power Stadium and inflict a first home defeat on the Foxes since November.
Boro boss Carrick insists his side have plenty more to offer after securing just their second league victory since the turn of the year.
Carrick said: “The spirit and the will to win was there, tactically the boys understood it, the boys were so eager to carry it out, it’s not easy as we’ve taken a few hits lately, the spirit was incredible.
“I’m just happy the boys had something go their way for a change, they deserve it as they’re an unbelievable group to work with, it doesn’t surprise me.
“The players are happy without being overly happy which is good, they’re eager to bring on what’s next, there was almost a feeling we could have scored one or two more and made it a little bit easier, they had chances towards the end, but there’s a good sense that that is still not enough, we want some more. We played very similar to how we played at home against them, they put five across their top line, it was just different personnel and the boys did their specific jobs unbelievably well and I was really pleased they took than on board.”
The home side spurned a golden opportunity to take the lead after five minutes when Jannik Vestergaard headed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross into the side-netting.
Patson Daka then somehow miscued his header from four yards out, sending the ball across the face of goal.
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