Will Lankshear continued his impressive start to the season by finding the back of the net twice, helping Middlesbrough secure a 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Riverside Stadium. The former Tottenham youngster, who joined Boro over the summer, now boasts six goals in his first five appearances, underscoring his growing importance to the side. Both of Lankshear's goals came from rebounds off West Brom goalkeeper Max O'Leary.
The first came shortly after the interval when a shot from Morgan Whittaker struck the post, ricocheted onto O'Leary's head and then looped back into the penalty area, where the unmarked Lankshear headed it home. The second followed eight minutes later when substitute Kyle Joseph unleashed an angled effort that O'Leary managed to block with his legs; the ball fell kindly to Lankshear, who calmly volleyed it into the net to restore Middlesbrough's lead. Alfie Jones added a third, sealing the win in the final minutes after a mis‑hit from West Brom defender Luke Ayling sent the ball across the goal line, where Jones tapped it home. The result marked Boro's second consecutive Sky Bet Championship home triumph, capping a fruitful week that also saw them lift the Carabao Cup against Doncaster.
The match opened with a minute of applause in memory of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, the two police officers who lost their lives on the nearby A66 when a vehicle traveling the wrong way collided with their marked police car. Their sacrifice was honoured by both sets of supporters before the first whistle. Middlesbrough created an early chance when Isaac Price slipped a back‑pass straight to Riley McGree, whose first‑time effort drifted wide. West Brom's most promising attack of the opening half arrived when Jayson Molumby threaded a superb through‑ball to Felix Myhre, only for the Norwegian to send his shot wide of the target.
Half‑time saw Middlesbrough forced into an early substitution as Jeremy Sarmiento left the field with an injury. Manager Kim Hellberg responded by introducing summer signing Sebastian Berhalter, hoping the fresh legs would inject energy into the side. The second half began with controversy.
Lankshear was positioned offside when Morgan Whittaker struck a shot that hit the post, rebounded onto O'Leary's head and then fell to Lankshear for a seemingly easy header. The goal stood, giving Middlesbrough a 1-0 lead. West Brom equalised in the 65th minute when Isaac Price floated a precise cross from the left, and Jimmy‑Jay Morgan rose above defender Luke Ayling to head the ball past the Boro keeper. Middlesbrough responded swiftly.
After O'Leary saved Joseph's angled strike, Lankshear pounced on the rebound, directing a clean volley into the net to make it 2-1. The home side then reinforced their advantage three minutes from time when Jones capitalised on a mis‑controlled clearance from Ayling, slotting the ball home to secure a 3-1 finish.
Post‑match, Hellberg praised his team's resilience: "I'm delighted with the win. The way we turned the game around after the break was fantastic – intense pressing, creating lots of chances. That's the football I want to see.
The first half was honestly terrible; we lacked intensity and gave them too much space. In the second half we corrected that, fought for every duel and deserved the three points." West Brom captain James Morrison reflected on his side's performance: "We talk a lot about managing momentum and the start of halves.
The opening goal was offside, but we won't dwell on it – we need to score ourselves. We felt comfortable at times, but we can't afford to concede cheap goals. We're a new team still finding our rhythm, and there will be bumps along the way.
The timing of goals has been frustrating – we conceded in the Carabao Cup right after scoring, which is disappointing." Beyond the on‑field action, the match featured a reminder for fans to use the Chrome browser for an optimal video player experience, and promotional messages encouraging viewers to watch Championship highlights on mobile devices and to try the Sky Bet Super 6 competition for a chance at a £250,000 prize. Overall, Middlesbrough's victory highlighted their attacking depth, with Lankshear's brace confirming his status as a key signing, while the team's ability to adapt after a sluggish first half demonstrated the tactical flexibility that manager Kim Hellberg is trying to instill. West Brom, despite the loss, showed moments of promise and will look to regroup as the Championship season progresses.