Middlesbrough maintained their unbeaten start to the season and remained top of the table after beating Bristol City 2-0 at Ashton Gate.
Middlesbrough had not won at Bristol City for seven years, but two first half goals from Middlesbrough meant the points went the way of the away side. Strikers Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga scored the goals and helped maintain Boro’s unbeaten start.
Tony Pulis named an unchanged side to the team that beat Sheffield United at The Riverside last weekend, and their playing time together showed, with Middlesbrough looking comfortable from the outset.
Chances came at a premium early in the game, and it took Boro to open the deadlock to get both teams going, with striker Martin Braithwaite alive in the box to capitalise on some poor Bristol City defending.
A long diagonal ball from goalkeeper Darren Randolph was flicked on by Britt Assombalonga, but a sliced clearance from the defender allowed Braithwaite to prod under new signing Niki Maenpaa in the City goal.
The same combination nearly had the same result just minutes later as Randolph again picked out Assombalonga who was bearing down on goal. But for a good piece of defending Boro could have doubled their lead almost immediately.
Soon after, the ball was in the back of the net for a second time however. On the 31 minute mark, Stewart Downing rolled back the years, chopping in and out on the right-hand side before dinking a cross to the far post for Assombalonga to head in.
Middlesbrough bossed proceedings from there on out and weren’t troubled by the Robins until the final minutes of the match. Eros Pisano’s effort hit the bar just minutes before the end, which was followed by Josh Brownhill’s free-kick hitting the upright again moments later.
Middlesbrough face West Bromwich Albion at the Riverside next Friday where they’ll be hoping to continue their unbeaten run, whereas Bristol City will look to get their first win as they travel to Queens Park Rangers.
