Carrick delight as Boro have last Lath
SWANSEA boss Luke Williams was disgusted by an “atrocious” game of football – but it didn’t bother Michael Carrick as his Middlesbrough side continued their Championship play-off charge with a hard-fought win at the Riverside.
Emmanuel Latte Lath lit up an otherwise drab affair with two moments of quality either side of halftime to extend Boro’s unbeaten run to seven games.
Carrick’s side endured a rotten start to the season, failing to win any of their first seven games, and the ex-Manchester United and England midfielder has had to deal with various major injury set-backs.
But his side are still in with a shout of a top-six finish ahead of a crucial trip to Hull on Wednesday.
“It was just an atrocious game of football, an absolutely diabolical example of the Championship,” fumed Williams.
“It would have been nicer if we’d won, at least we could have pretended to be happy about something, but goodness me.” Latte
MIDDLESBROUGH ..... 2 Latte Lath 45, 79
SWANSEA ............... 0
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Lath opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box.
And the Ivorian scored his 10th league goal of the season 11 minutes from time when he cut on to his right foot and lashed into the top corner.
Carrick said: “Manu is coming into form. Hopefully that carries on in the next few games, we need that type of impact.
“I’m delighted to be honest. It’s the type of game that can pass you by if you don’t do the right things.”
MIDDLESBROUGH: Dieng 6, Ayling 7, Howson 7, Clarke 7, Thomas 5; Barlaser 5, O’Brien 6; Jones 6 (Finch (83) 6) Azaz 6 (Dijksteel (83) 6) Greenwood 6 (Gilbert (87) 5), Latte Lath 8 (Silvera (83) 6)
SWANSEA: Rushworth 6, Key 5, Wood 6, Darling 5, Tymon 5 (Abdulai (28) 5), Grimes 5, Fulton 6 (Walsh (64)
5), Pereira Martins 7 (Govea (78) 5), Paterson 5 (Cooper (64) 5), Lowe 6, Yates 5 (Cullen (64) 5)
STAR MAN: Latte Lath – The matchwinner with an impressive brace and the liveliest attacker throughout.
REF: Rebecca Welch 7