BBC Sports: Middlesbrough 2-3 Sunderland: Dramatic end to brilliant derby.

As the Sunderland players rejoiced on the pitch and Wilson Isidor wrapped his jersey around a Riverside corner flag, Michael Carrick left down the tunnel, leaving enough to consider.

The Black Cats’ away victory placed them in the automatic promotion battle, where Boro hoped to be this season. Instead, Carrick’s team has dropped out of the top six as their vulnerabilities were revealed once more.

A frantic and thrilling Tees-Wear derby demonstrated why Regis Le Bris was so eager to reconnect with Enzo Le Fee at Sunderland in January. The Black Cats aimed to make Isidor’s loan arrangement permanent during the winter window.

 

Both shone at the Riverside on Monday night, as Sunderland once again found a way to win. Middlesbrough, on the other hand, have again found a way to lose important points.
In terms of reunions, Ryan Giles’ return to Riverside went horribly wrong. For it was the left-back who turned into his own net in the last minutes of a tense encounter, giving Sunderland a third goal and three points. But the winner was all about Le Fee, not Boro’s unlucky full-back. The Frenchman left Luke Ayling standing with a beautiful touch before unleashing a cross that ricocheted off Giles and beat Travers.
And that meant Sunderland had the final laugh at the conclusion of a fantastic game. Hayden Hackney demonstrated why Middlesbrough turned down Porto’s deadline-day £10 million deal with a defence-splitting ball that set up Delano Burgzorg for the opening before producing a stunning goal to tie the game at 2-2. In the meanwhile, frail Boro were once again revealed.

Dan Neil’s goal to make it 1-1 was badly deflected and fortuitous, but Boro only had themselves to blame, with Burgzorg much too easily dispossessed on the edge of his own penalty area. Isidor’s finish for Sunderland’s second goal was outstanding, but Boro once again shot themselves in the foot in the build-up, making things too simple for their appreciative opponents.

Boro’s offense is loaded with talent, but Carrick needs to find a way to toughen his team up and eliminate the blunders. Sunderland, on the other hand, never gives up. They’re now only three points behind the top two and haven’t lost in six.

Following the twists and turns of the transfer window’s final hours, there was football. New arrivals resulted in a new look for the Boro, with Mark Travers starting in goal, Giles making his first start of his second tenure, and Morgan Whittaker debuting. Samuel Iling-Junior, a former Juventus forward, was selected on the bench after completing his loan move from Aston Villa, while forward Kelechi Iheanacho watched from the stands after being presented to the supporters following his temporary switch from Sevilla. The former Manchester City and Leicester City striker was Boro’s sixth and final acquisition after a hectic January transfer window. Boro had contacted Liverpool about Tyler Morton, but the Premier League leaders had priced the midfielder out of any trade.

Sunderland were successful in their deadline-day discussions with Liverpool, agreeing on a loan deal for Jayden Danns, but it was not completed in time for the striker to watch at the Riverside.

The Black Cats maintained Tommy Watson, while Boro turned off late interest in their local star. And it only took 11 minutes at the Riverside for Hackney to demonstrate why he is being spoken about by the continent’s elite.

He was fortunate not to be punished for his foul on Patrick Roberts midway through the Boro half, but once he had the ball, his pass to split the defenders and set Burgzorg free was superb. The Dutchman never appeared to be absent.

Sunderland could have no complaints. Boro had been the brighter of the two teams early on, causing issues with their strong press and flanking moves.

Hackney was the main force behind Boro. The England Under-21 international almost added a second assist when he surged through the middle and set up Forss, who skewed his effort over.

Sunderland recovered from their slow start, creating half-chances for Roberts and Enzo Le Fee, while Travers saved Chris Mepham’s header from a corner. The Black Cats failed to incorporate Isidor into the game, while Boro maintained a strong defensive presence. But how frequently has that been the case this season, with Carrick’s team assisting their opponents? And so it proved once more, even if Sunderland did have a lucky break with their leveller. Neil’s shot deflected off Edmundson, leaving Travers with little chance, although the shooting opportunity came after Burgzorg was dispossessed far too easily on the edge of his own box.

The same was true for Sunderland’s second goal, which came five minutes after the restart. Ayling’s touch was heavy, and Morris gave up too quickly against Cirkin, allowing Le Fee to work his magic and put Isidor free with a beautiful pass. The finish was classic: a drop of the shoulder, Travers caught off guard and flattened, the ball tapped into the empty goal.

The Black Cats had an opportunity to kick on and secure the points, but Morris and Boro made amends. The midfielder stole the ball from Bellingham’s foot, and Hackney rifled into the bottom corner to square the score.

Carrick switched to his bench and brought Iling-Junior, who almost immediately had an impact, setting up Forss, whose effort was deflected wide. It would have taken courage to select a winner in the middle of the second half.

However, Le Fee ignited the game, and Sunderland emerged victorious.

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