Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Brentford
by Roger Domeneghetti
at the Riverside

MIDDLESBROUGH booked their place in the Championship play-off final with an emphatic 3-0 win over Brentford and after the match clearly emotional Boro boss Aitor Karanka thanked his players for giving him the chance to do something he never did as a player

“I have to say thank you,” said Karanka after the match. “I have achieved many things as a player, I played in and won the Champions League and league titles but I never had the opportunity to play at Wembley. They give me that chance. 

For that reason, for everything they do every single day, I say ‘thanks’.  I don’t have enough words to praise my players.  I said a long time ago that they deserved the best and once again they were rewarded. They are an amazing team.”

More than a few Middlesbrough fans will share his sentiments after a glorious night that had a packed Riverside Stadium rocking from start to finish with an atmosphere reminiscent of Middlesbrough’s journey to the Uefa Cup final in the spring of 2006.

With a slim advantage from the first leg, Middlesbrough set about their task with intent taking the lead through Lee Tomlin after 23 minutes before Kike and Albert Adomah but the result beyond any doubt in the second half.

For Brentford boss Mark Warburton, who had marshalled his young squad to promotion from League One last season, it was a disappointing one.  “Boro were the best team on the night and deserved to go through, it’s as simple as that.”

The defeat means Warburton has managed his last game for the Bees. “I’m feeling a a number of emotions frustration, disappointment and a few other emotions, but I’ll leave them for another time maybe. The night’s not about me.”