Middlesbrough will take a one-goal lead into the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final after a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium.
Hayden Hackney’s first-half finish for the Championship side put Michael Carrick’s men in front to the delight of the home crowd, while Cole Palmer uncharacteristically spurned three excellent opportunities for the misfiring Premier League team.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team dominated possession but did not do enough to find the equaliser on the night and succumbed to a fifth away defeat in six matches. They have left themselves with work to do to reach the final at Wembley. Boro can dream.
Boro played with intent from the outset. Levi Colwill’s poor defensive header allowed Emmanuel Latte Lath through on goal inside the first minute of the match but the forward failed to connect properly, his shot proving comfortable for Djordje Petrovic.
It was doubly costly for Carrick’s side because Axel Disasi’s desperate lunge in trying to block the shot caught Latte Lath and the Ivorian was forced off injured as a result of the challenge. Josh Coburn replaced him but Boro then lost Alex Bangura too.
Chelsea were unable to capitalise but should have taken the lead when Jonny Howson gifted possession to Palmer. His shot was dragged wide of the post when well-placed and the Premier League side were punished for this profligacy soon afterwards.
Daniel Barlaser sent Isaiah Jones away down the right flank and his low cross was swept home by Hackney. Moises Caicedo did not track the run but it was a neat finish from the 21-year-old academy graduate to raise the temperature inside the Riverside Stadium.Pochettino had urged Chelsea to start with more purpose than they had in the FA Cup win over Preston but it was their failure to take advantage of Boro’s errors that was the issue here. Palmer missed an even better chance than his first just before the interval.
Tom Glover inexplicably mishandled Enzo Fernandez’s tame shot from distance, presenting Palmer with what looked to be a straightforward finish into the open net on the volley. Instead, the England international contrived to spoon the ball over the bar.
This wastefulness has been a theme of Chelsea’s season but the advantage of a two-legged semi-final is that there is time to turn it around. Even so, for all their possession, there was a desperation to their play in the second half. Wild shots. Aimless crosses.
It needed a fine rearguard action from Boro to keep them out but amid a special Teesside atmosphere, they did just that. Chelsea will fancy their chances back at Stamford Bridge on January 23. But they will need to take them. It is Boro who lead going into the second leg.
Experienced midfielder Howson is at the other end of his career and relished the occasion. “These opportunities do not come around too often. It is the first time in my career. You have to make the most of it, give it your all, your best shot and see what happens.”
Isaiah Jones, the player of the match, added: “Because we were at home, we needed to use the crowd as our 12th man and I thought we did that with our early chances in the first half. We have belief. Hopefully, we can go there, get the win and go to Wembley.”
