Middlesbrough punish Preston to stay second

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·24 January 2026

Middlesbrough punish Preston to stay second

Middlesbrough beat Preston North End 4-0 at the Riverside Stadium to stay second and extend their Championship winning run to four.

In the ninth minute, Alan Browne swept in Matt Targett's through ball to set the tone. Tommy Conway doubled the lead with a low strike from outside the box (28.), after Luke Ayling's pass unlocked the defence.

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Morgan Whittaker added a composed third from close range (42.). Moments after the restart, Jordan Storey was sent off with a straight red (50.), and Conway tapped in a fourth from a second phase set piece (54.).

After the restart, Targett later departed injured.

Boro controlled the game with 67% possession and 16 attempts, eight on target. Preston managed four attempts and worked the goalkeeper once.

Next, Boro host Norwich City in the Championship. Preston visit Ipswich Town.