Emmanuel Latte Lath scored a hat-trick in 12 minutes as Middlesbrough defeated Oxford 6-2 at the Kassam Stadium, with Finn Azaz adding two goals and two assists.
It came after Boro’s amazing first-half comeback after falling behind in the 24th minute, with Ivory Coast international Latte Lath at the centre of it.
Greg Leigh put the U’s ahead, but three goals in eight minutes before halftime flipped the game on its head, leaving Boro 3-1 up.
Elliott Moore turned the ball back from the far post, allowing Jamaica international Leigh to score from 12 yards out at a corner.
Middlesbrough levelled in the 37th minute when Latte Lath converted a penalty after Moore tripped Ben Doak on the byline. Moore was cautioned for the reckless challenge.
Five minutes later, Azaz put Boro ahead with a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner from 15 yards after Latte Lath’s feed. On the stroke of halftime, the visitors completed their rapid turnaround when the pacy Latte Lath overcame Oxford’s offside trap by racing onto Azaz’s pass and beating keeper Jamie Cumming.
Azaz provided another assist four minutes into the second half when Latte Lath fired a left-footed shot between Cumming and his near post for his seventh goal of the season, completing his hat trick. Substitute In the 72nd minute, Dane Scarlett scored again on a low shot.
Boro then stepped up a gear again, with Tommy Conway scoring a fifth goal with a low right-footed effort from 20 yards, before the classy Azaz curled in number six seven minutes later to cap the thrashing.
Cameron Brannagan, who had been out injured since September, returned to the United squad and brushed the crossbar with an angled effort in the second half.
Boro won despite being without USA midfielder Aidan Morris, who suffered a twisted knee while on international duty ahead of their game against Jamaica.
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