The hosts continue to struggle.
Middlesbrough secured their second league victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Cardiff City, thanks to a standout performance from defender Matt Clarke, who found the net for the second time this season. Clarke’s goal, coupled with an own goal, sealed Cardiff’s fate, leaving them at the bottom of the Championship table with just one point from four games.
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick was full of praise for Clarke, whose goal was his second at Cardiff this year. "Clarkey has been fabulous for us, and his two goals in the last few weeks have been an added bonus," said Carrick. "He defends really well, and it's nice to see him score some goals."
Carrick acknowledged the challenging conditions, noting that the match was different from their previous games. "It was a really good win for us in what was a bit of a different game to the other games we've had this season," Carrick explained. "There were fewer chances and shots. It was a bit windy, the pitch was dry, and the ball was slow, so it wasn't easy to play quick football."
Despite these challenges, Middlesbrough managed to maintain their composure, particularly during a brief period of pressure from Cardiff in the second half. "We had to weather a five-minute spell at the start of the second half, and we managed that really well," Carrick added. "Seny Dieng made a good save, and I felt we would score at some stage."
Cardiff City, meanwhile, continued their poor run of form, with manager Erol Bulut lamenting his team’s inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The Bluebirds have now conceded 10 goals while scoring just once in their four league matches. "We are consistently failing to take our chances to score," Bulut admitted. "In the first 10-15 minutes of the second half, we had three or four chances to score. Then we conceded a goal from a set-piece, followed by an own goal, which was unlucky."
Bulut expressed his frustration with the team's lack of consistency and hinted at possible changes after the international break. "You have to score goals. We'll have to ask all the players why we're not scoring and then analyze all their statistics," he said. "There will be changes for sure after the international break, and everyone has to accept it."
With Middlesbrough climbing the table and Cardiff languishing at the bottom, both teams will be looking to address their respective issues as the Championship season progresses.
