Match highlights
RIVERSIDE ROAR
Middlesbrough 2 Bournemouth 0: Watch Gaston Ramirez and Stewart Downing fire Boro to first Premier League win since August
MIDDLESBROUGH recorded their first home win of the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Bournemouth at the Riverside, in what was Aitor Karanka's 150th game in charge of the Teesside outfit.
Goals from Gaston Ramirez and local hero Stewart Downing handed Boro all three points despite Eddie Howe's side twice going close through Josh King as he hit the bar and saw his second strike cleared off the line by Adam Clayton.
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Uruguay international Gaston Ramirez opened the scoring for Middlesbrough with a superb solo goal shortly before half time as he charged from deep inside his own half, leaving behind a helpless Jack Wilshere and cut inside to slot a cool right-footed finish past Artur Boruc.
Karanka's side doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half when club stalwart Stewart Downing tapped the ball home from close range when Adama Traore's cross picked out Spaniard Alvaro Negredo at the far post.
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Bournemouth had done well to keep up the pressure having been reduced to 10 men late into the second half as they saw Andrew Surman hobble off down the tunnel through injury after Howe had made all three of his substitutions.
Watched on by former Boro manager and temporary England boss Gareth Southgate, Ramirez made way for the club captain Grant Leadbitter who made his eagerly awaited return following groin surgery which has kept him out since the summer.
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DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Middlesbrough: Valdes 7, Barragan 7, Chambers 7, Gibson 6, Friend 7; Clayton 7; Traore 6 (Fischer ), Forshaw 7, Ramirez 8, (Leadbitter 63) 6, Downing 7, Negredo 7 (Rhodes 85)
Subs not used: Guzan, Bernardo, Fabio, Fischer, Nugent
Goals: Ramirez (39), Downing (55)
Booked: Ramirez
Bournemouth: Boruc 5, Smith 6, Francis 6, Cook 6, Daniels 7, Surman 7, Arter 5, (Gosling 73) 6, King 6, Wilshere 7, Ibe 7 (Afobe 58) 6, Wilson 5, (Fraser 58) 5.
Subs not used: Federici, Mings, Ake, Gradel
Booked: Smith
STAR MAN: GASTON RAMIREZ (8)
SOCIAL SAYS
WHAT THEY SAID:
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka: "Today was an important day for us. We showed everybody that the performance against Arsenal wasn’t a coincidence. Our crowd is the best and with them behind us we won the game."
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "The performance could have been better from our perspective. I thought that in most elements we weren't quite at our very best levels today.
"I thought with the ball we moved it quite slowly which is unlike us. It was frustrating at times and some of our decision making around their box. Out of possession I don't think we were as aggressive as we have been of late with our pressing."
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