Middlesbrough brush aside Preston as top-two push rolls on | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Middlesbrough beat Preston North End 4-0 at the Riverside to cement second place. Alan Browne opened the scoring in the ninth minute after Matt Targett's through ball. Tommy Conway doubled the lead (28.) and Morgan Whittaker made it three (42.), before Jordan Storey's straight red card tilted the game (50.) and Conway quickly added a fourth (54.). Boro produced eight shots on target, controlling the tempo throughout. Boro remain second in the Championship and host Norwich City next, while Preston stay sixth and visit Ipswich.

Player of the Match: Tommy Conway delivered the cutting edge, scoring twice from two shots on target and killing the contest soon after the red card.

Stat of the Match: Preston managed just four attempts, underscoring how little they created against sustained pressure.

Three Things We Learned: Luke Ayling created two big chances and supplied the assist for the opener, repeatedly driving Boro down the right. The red card for Jordan Storey reshaped the second half, with the hosts striking again shortly after. Boro finished with eight shots on target from 16 attempts, a clear reflection of their 67.0% possession translating into chances.