Whittaker strikes early as Middlesbrough steady play-off bid | OneFootball

Middlesbrough beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at the Riverside to stay fifth in the Championship play-off places.

In the 11th minute, Morgan Whittaker bent a left-footed finish from a tight angle into the bottom-left corner to put the hosts ahead.

Sol Brynn preserved the points late on, smothering Will Grainger's low effort (77.).

After the restart, Jeremy Sarmiento replaced Whittaker, while The Owls lost Jarvis Thornton to injury during a treatment stoppage before Grainger came on. Later, Matt Targett departed injured and Alex Bangura entered for Boro.

Murphy Mahoney kept The Owls in it with sharp stops in both halves, including a strong take from a Luke Ayling effort, but the visitors could not find a leveller.

Boro controlled 60.8% of possession and attempted 18 shots, forcing nine corners. The Owls mustered eight attempts and hit the target once.

Next, Boro host Watford. The Owls visit Oxford United.