Emmanuel Latte Lath on target again as Middlesbrough sign off with victory
Posted Saturday, May 04, 2024 by PA
Emmanuel Latte Lath continued his blistering form as Middlesbrough signed off for the summer with a 3-1 home victory over Watford.
The Championship’s player of the month for April scored his 11th goal in 12 games to set Michael Carrick’s side on their way at the Riverside.
Wesley Hoedt equalised for the Hornets in the second half, but Boro hit back immediately and secured a deserved victory thanks to late goals from substitute Alex Bangura and Isaiah Jones.
Boro endured a seven-game winless run to start the season but ended the campaign with just one defeat in their last 12 and finished eighth. Watford won just two of their last 13 games and finished 15th.
Tom Cleverley’s side were first to threaten when Vakoun Bayo forced a close-range save out of Seny Dieng after meeting Ken Sema’s cross.
But Boro soon took charge, with in-form striker Latte Lath lively and dangerous from the off.
The Ivorian threatened early on when he raced in behind but was denied by a last-gasp sliding challenge from Hoedt.
He then tried to tee up the unmarked Alex Gilbert inside the box moments later but delayed his pass slightly and Watford cleared.
The visiting side’s relief was short-lived, though, and Latte Lath fired Boro in front just before the half-hour mark when he swept home a cross from Leeds loanee Luke Ayling.
Watford had a chance to draw level immediately, but Mileta Rajovic lacked the composure Latte Lath had shown at the other end and blazed his strike over.
Bayo had a glorious chance to equalise for the Hornets early in the second half but was denied by Boro forward Gilbert, who raced back and made a terrific last-ditch challenge.
Gilbert then nearly doubled Boro’s lead, curling just over the bar from the edge of the box.
Matt Clarke came to Boro’s rescue in what was an end-to-end start to the second half, the centre-half stepping in well and clearing from underneath his own crossbar.
A week after scoring his first Boro goal, defender Clarke almost added another, heading just wide.
But 17 minutes from time, Watford drew level, Hoedt first to Yaser Asprilla’s corner and glancing a header into the far corner.
Parity lasted just five minutes, with Boro’s substitutes combining to put the home side back in front.
Sam Greenwood wriggled into space in the box and crossed for left-back Bangura, who found the bottom corner.
Boro wrapped up the win six minutes later when Ayling cut the ball back for Jones, who finished emphatically.
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