In-form Will Lankshear bagged a brace as Middlesbrough maintained their position at the Championship summit with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Charlton at the Riverside. Sebastian Berhalter opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Lankshear netted twice to take his tally to 15 in all competitions. While the early exchanges were not without the odd nervy moment for a home side who came into the match unbeaten in their last 10 league matches, a long throw into the Boro box led to a quick counter and a shot from the division's top scorer Lankshear, resulting in a corner.
Charlton's Tyler Bindon picked up a yellow card inside 10 minutes for a late challenge and the resulting free-kick led to a header into the side-netting from Riley McGree, which seemed to give the home team and supporters a lift. The first goal came shortly after, with the tricky feet of Amario Cozier-Duberry on the right ensuring he found enough space to pull the back to the edge of the 18-yard box for Berhalter, who produced a tidy finish to the goalkeeper's right. Arthur Okonkwo may well feel he could have done better, however.
Charlton went on to produce a couple of half-chances themselves, including a close-range shot from a wide angle from Joe Rankin-Costello, which was comfortably saved by Radek Vitek. A deep cross from Cozier-Duberry then found the ever-dangerous Tommy Conway all on his own at the back post, but his curling shot went narrowly wide, while just after the half-hour mark a long Charlton throw was headed goalwards by Miles Leaburn and had Vitek scrambling, but missed the target. McGree was given a deserved yellow for a heavy challenge on Charlton's Kayne Ramsay in the opposition box after losing control of the ball, with Ramsay having to be replaced at half-time.
The second goal came shortly before the break, with Berhalter producing a sumptuous through ball to find Lankshear. Cries of offside from the away side were ignored by the linesman and Lankshear produced a tidy dink finish to double the lead. Charlton had a couple of threatening moments at the start of the second half, but Middlesbrough soon took control, with a McGree shot over the bar followed by a curling strike from Cozier-Duberry that looked destined for the top corner but went narrowly wide.
After a couple of dangerous looking crosses from Middlesbrough captain Callum Brittain that were begging to be converted, the victory was finally sealed in the 82nd minute. Within seconds of being introduced from the bench, Charlton's Nathaniel Chalobah slipped on the edge of his own box and the ball dropped kindly to Lankshear, whose left-foot strike emphatically found the top corner, taking his league tally to 13 goals in as many games. Lankshear was replaced immediately afterwards with what looked like cramp, with another excellent afternoon's work done and dusted.
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