rewrite this title Bristol City 2-1 Middlesbrough: Super-sub George Earthy scores twice in stunning Championship comeback win for Robins

Substitute George Earthy netted a 10-minute second-half double as Bristol City came from behind to leap into the Championship play-off spots with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate.

The West Ham loanee, a 63rd-minute replacement for Anis Mehmeti, fired in from Cam Pring’s cross nine minutes later and then tapped home the rebound when Scott Twine’s 82nd-minute free-kick came back off the crossbar.

Boro had looked set to end their losing streak when Tommy Conway scored against his old club after 37 minutes, heading into an unguarded net after goalkeeper Max O’Leary had parried Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot into his path.

But the visitors came under the cosh in the second half and there was no doubting City’s right to the points.

Both sides created openings in an even first 20 minutes. Twine fired narrowly over for City after a fifth-minute free-kick was played into his path, 25 yards out.

Neto Borges came close with Boro’s first goal attempt when his 12th-minute shot was deflected into O’Leary’s arms and – seven minutes later – O’Leary saved again from Delano Burgzorg’s low drive.

Mehmeti fired narrowly wide for the hosts with a 20th-minute shot from inside the box and Twine had another effort blocked before Sinclair Armstrong’s curling long-range chance just cleared the Boro crossbar after 31 minutes.

Max Bird’s 25-yard shot was saved at full stretch by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Travers, but at the other end, Burgzorg should have done better when mishitting his effort wide for a Borges cross.

Conway celebrated his goal in front of the City fans who had jeered him from kick-off. But it should have been 1-1 at the break as Bird’s shot brought a reaction save from Travers and Twine somehow contrived to put the rebound wide.

Boro defenders put their bodies on the line to withstand heavy City pressure at the start of the second half, a prime example being Rav van den Berg’s brave 56th-minute block on Twine’s close-range shot.

But goalkeeper Travers was needed after 62 minutes when Armstrong burst onto a long ball out of defence and saw his shot from an angle parried by the visiting ‘keeper.

City head coach Liam Manning then made a triple substitution, sending on Earthy, Yu Hirakawa and Pring for Mehmeti, Mark Sykes and Haydon Roberts.

Hirakawa almost made an instant impact, heading wide from a Tanner cross. And moments later another Hirakawa cross led to Pring teeing up Earthy for the equaliser.

It was all City as Travers went full length to save from Twine’s 25-yard shot. And after Earthy’s winner, the busy Boro stopper had to dive to his left to palm out another Twine effort as they held on for maximum points to move to sixth.

The managers

Bristol City’s Liam Manning:

“Nothing will change because we have reached the top six. As ever, we will enjoy the victory for a couple of days and then it is back to more hard work.

“That has been the mentality for a long time now and is the way we manage the growing expectations among our fans. The most exciting thing for me is the undoubted progress we are making.

“We have a group of players who respond positively to any setback. I am delighted for George Earthy tonight because he sums up the work ethic of the squad.

“He is on loan from a Premier League club, yet there is not the slightest ego about him. This is not the first time he has made an impact from the bench.

“I thought the team were very good throughout the match. In the first half we just lacked that bit of quality in the opposition box. There was an element of frustration at half-time, but not a lot needed changing.”

Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick:

“We’ve been ahead in a lot of matches and come away with nothing. That’s what’s hurting us.

“Their first goal changes the game and the second from the free-kick was totally the wrong decision from the referee. Their player was looking for contact.

“The situation we’re in, we need things to go our way to give us a bit of a leg-up. Instead, we got a bad decision.

“It’s not a good run at all, but things could have been a lot different. Professionally, I’ve got an immense amount of pride. I care for the club, care for the supporters and hugely care for the players.

“We’re hurting really badly at the moment, but we’ve got to fight our way out of it.

“Sticking together is not the issue. In terms of effort, application and willingness to do the right thing, it’s all there, but the results aren’t.”

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