Middlesbrough secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Lincoln at Riverside on Saturday, claiming three points in their Championship regular season opener. The hosts dominated possession and chances, though the margin of victory told only part of the story. Adam Reach opened the scoring early, before Will Lankshear's double completed the turnaround.
And here's the thing — Middlesbrough started brightly, with Reach finding space to slot home in the twelfth minute. Lincoln responded with physicality, and Freddie Draper received a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a challenge that disrupted their rhythm. The visitors had to dig deep after going behind so quickly.
The second half brought more movement. Will Lankshear equalised the visitor's effort was building toward, netting in the sixty-second minute after a well-worked move. Middlesbrough's manager brought on Abdoulaye Kanté, Leo Castledine, and Neto Borges together in the sixty-third minute, looking to shift the game. Lincoln made Ben House and Kyle Joseph come on as well, both substitutions arriving in the seventy-first minute.
By then, Lincoln had weathered the storm but needed something special. Isaac Olaofe picked up a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute, and moments later Lankshear struck again in the ninety-first minute. Middlesbrough brought on Adam Reach, Morgan Whittaker, and Tendayi Darikwa for the final two minutes — all three replacements came on simultaneously in the ninetieth minute.
The statistics painted a picture of control. Middlesbrough held 76 per cent possession and completed 555 of their 629 passes. They created five big chances and registered an expected goals figure of 2.23, despite only converting twice. Lincoln managed just one big chance and 0.57 expected goals from their six shots.
Shots tell the fuller story. Middlesbrough fired fifteen attempts, seven on target and eight off. Lincoln managed six shots, two on target and four wide. The hosts also won 15 of 38 aerial duels while Lincoln claimed 23 — a sign the visitors were winning battles they couldn't afford to.
The result moves Middlesbrough to 10 points from five games, keeping them in second place. Lincoln remain in seventeenth with five points, one win, two draws, and two defeats. The gap between them widens to five points as the season unfolds.