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Middlesbrough 3 Wolves 0 - Report and pictures

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None of the players on show at the Riverside Stadium had been born the last time Wolves had won an away game at Middlesbrough.

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Neither had Kenny Jackett. In fact Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey hadn't, either, such is the quite incomprehensibly rotten record Wolves have in this particular part of the North-East.

If Wolves don't break the hoodoo when they return to the Riverside in the Championship next year, you wonder how many of the above will still be at the club when the run, currently at 24 win-less matches in 64 years, finally ends.

For Middlesbrough are a team going places and Wolves, on this evidence, are not.

Many changes were made by both sides as the respective bosses made clear where their priorities for the season lie, but Boro's class told.

There was a small chasm between the two sides in terms of quality going forward, intelligence and patience in possession, as well as creativity and purpose.

Defensive mistakes, once more, littered this Wolves performance, with opposition players left unmarked at crucial moments, and Ethan Ebanks-Landell dropping a howler for the opening goal.

But is Jackett more concerned about the consistent error-strewn displays at the back, or the dearth of imagination and cutting edge up front? Not the nicest of choices to make.

James Henry of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Adam Reach of Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough: Meijias; Nsue, Kalas, Amorebieta, Friend (Stephens 74); Leadbitter (Clayton 67), Forshaw; De Pena (Reach 79), Fabbrini, Adomah; Kike.

Subs not used: Agazzi, Gibson, Downing, Nugent.

Wolves: Ikeme; Doherty, Iorfa, Ebanks-Landell, Deslandes; Wallace, McDonald, Price, Saville (Henry 81); Enobakhare (Le Fondre 60); Van La Parra (Afobe, 60).

Subs not used: Martinez, Golbourne, Rowe, Ojo.

Referee: Kevin Wright

Attendance: 13,386[/breakout]

But the answer should be both, as Wolves are short of the required standard at both ends of the pitch at the moment and the longer it drags on the louder the dissatisfaction will grow.

Jackett made nine changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Brighton, many enforced with a host of players injured.

In came Carl Ikeme, handed the captain's armband to become Wolves' fifth skipper of the season, Jack Price and youngsters Sylvain Deslandes and Bright Enobakhare among others, while Dominic Iorfa was moved to centre-half.

Jackett continued with a 4-4-1-1 formation, playing George Saville on the left of midfield.

His intentions to keep things compact in midfield and utilise the pace of Enobakhare and Rajiv Van La Parra were clear, and Wolves certainly managed the former in a gentle opening to the game.

Chances were few and far between, with Boro carrying the more potent threat through winger Adomah, who was handing a stern test to teenager Deslandes.

The Boro man got the better of their early exchanges, with Price having to be alert to intercept a dangerous early cross.

Deslandes and then Matt Doherty importantly intercepted menacing Boro cross-field passes, as the home team looked to edge in front.

Wolves' opportunities were largely restricted to set pieces, with a delicious inswinging free kick from Wallace taken off Deslandes' head.

Doherty made a crucial intervention to cut out former Wolves man George Friend's pass into the box with Diego Fabbrini ready to pounce on 26 minutes.

From the corner, though, Doherty, fresh from signing a new three-year contract a day earlier, was extremely fortunate to avoid embarrassment when he side-footed inches past his own post.

Kike send a cross just over Adomah's head with Ikeme out of his goal, before Wallace fired in Wolves' first shot in anger, a long range effort that sailed high and wide.

The 'Bright' Enobakhare was full of chutzpah, looking to take players on with his infectious and exuberant style.

But his ambition wasn't matched elsewhere, with Wolves struggling to pick out an incisive final ball.

Jack Price of Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 37 minutes Boro took a deserved lead when Ebanks-Landell got in a right muddle from a left-wing cross and scuffed the ball into Adomah's path. He duly beat Ikeme from eight yards.

There was obvious frustration on the faces of some of the Wolves players.

They knew that, while their possession and occasional bright interplay was all very well, they needed to show the cutting edge that Boro possessed in the final third.

The hosts began the second-half with intent, as they looked to potentially put the game out of Wolves' reach. Doherty made successive important clearances from a cross and a corner.

Then Ebanks-Landell got his body in the way to block a Kike shot, after the Spaniard had initially got the better of both centre halves and brought Ikeme from his line in the process.

Boro were the more threatening side, with Wolves not able to hurt the home side where it matter. And it was no surprise when the home side doubled their lead just before the hour mark.

A well-worked move involving Emilio Nsue, Adomah and Carlos De Pena ended with Fabbrini lashing past Ikeme from 15 yards on 57 minutes.

Jackett was already planning to send on Afobe and Le Fondre before the goal and the pair duly arrived in a bid to salvage the tie.

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They replaced Enobakhare and Van La Parra, who had both been full of running but received little to no service.

The head coach no doubt hoped for an instant impact from the pair, but instead Boro put the tie out of Wolves' reach.

De Pena picked out the unmarked Adomah at the back post and he had time to take a touch before slotting past the onrushing Ikeme for their second in seven minutes.

Wolves responded with their first shot on target of the evening a minute later, McDonald taking Saville's lay-off and side-footing at goalkeeper Tomas Mejias from the edge of the area.

It drew sarcastic cheers from the 312 hardy Wolves supporters who had made the long trip north to a chilly Riverside.

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You couldn't blame them for having a dig at their players, who simply hadn't made their 170-mile jaunt worthwhile.

The final 25 minutes were a procession. Boro should have scored a couple more.

Kike dinked into the side netting and Fabbrini crashing against the bar, while Wolves threatened sporadically and belatedly through Afobe and Le Fondre.

It just wasn't good enough. The only plus is that the Capital One Cup is no longer a distraction.

Indeed, this result didn't cost Wolves anything other than a run in a competition they needn't be too bothered about, given their league woes.

But it was still a morale-sapping defeat. And it's clear that Jackett has an awful lot of work to do to get Wolves' season on track.