Head coach Aitor Karanka reckoned it to be mission accomplished as Middlesbrough moved through to the last sixteen of the FA Cup.
Stewart Downing’s fine strike with just over twenty minutes remaining was all that eventually separated them from League Two strugglers Accrington Stanley after missing a number of opportunities at the Riverside.
“The most important thing with these games is to just get through to the next round – we had chances to score more but sometimes it’s difficult against these sides,” Karanka told BBC Sport. “Accrington Stanley were really organised and kept fighting to the end so I’m really pleased.
“Stewart Downing deserved to score, it was an amazing goal. I told him at half-time that he was one of the best players on the pitch but to score a goal is always best.”
Share this article
