Sol Brynn's game-changing moment as Middlesbrough's Oxford win equals 77-year record

Middlesbrough claimed a thumping victory at Oxford United on Saturday - extending their winning run to three games, with an incredible 15 goals scored in the process after the 6-2 victory.

Emmanuel Latte Lath's hat-trick set them on their way, while Finn Azaz continued his fine form to bag a brace as Tommy Conway came off the bench to get in on the act. It was another clinical and ruthless display from Boro that lifted them into the top six as well.

Including the game-changing moment, huge 77-year-wait positive and more - here is the Oxford-Boro analysis at a glance.

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The game-changing moment

As far as game-changing moments go, Sol Brynn deserves a huge pat on the back. He very nearly had this moment two minutes earlier when he did excellently to dive down at Mark Harris's feet and deny the striker as he ran through one-on-one. Brynn wasn't to know but the offside flag had gone up so it didn't really matter, but it was a big moment he could personally take huge confidence from on his league debut.

His actual game-changing moment came for Boro's second goal though. Using the confidence gained a moment earlier, in such awful weather conditions, the 24-year-old came and collected a dangerous Oxford cross with real authority before quickly setting Boro off down the left. The result of that attack was Latte Lath feeding Azaz and Boro completing a turnaround to lead 2-1 from 1-0 down.

A big moment in the game that gave Boro their platform, it all came from Brynn's superb commanding of his area and his quick-thinking to set Boro off on the counter. It didn't go unnoticed either, with Michael Carrick referencing it after, and Matt Clarke and George Edmundson both making conscious efforts in the celebration for the goal to congratulate the young shot-stopper.

Boro's best player

It's so hard to pick between Latte Lath and Azaz for this one. Usually, scoring a hat-trick would have you as nailed on man of the match, and Latte Lath could hardly have done much more. But, given Azaz not only scored two goals but also set two of Latte Lath's goals up as well, it's hard to look past Azaz.

He oozed class in everything he did and looks a player performing at the peak of his powers and confidence right now. Dropping into the hole in between midfield and attack, he links everything for Boro and was involved again in almost everything good Boro do. He was unlucky not to have a hat-trick of his own too, hitting the post shortly before he fired home his second of the afternoon. Both of his finishes were unique and classy in their own right.

The positive

Boro can't stop scoring right now - and it was great to see that the international break didn't halt the momentum they'd built before it. With another six at Oxford, it's a remarkable 15 goals in three games for Carrick's side, and 13 in their last three away games.

Not only that, but Boro's win made it the first time since November 1947 - 77 years ago! - that Boro have scored four or more goals in three consecutive games. The culmination of that three-game run back then was a 7-1 away win at Blackburn Rovers, which remains the club's record away win. It was also the first time they scored six away from home since a 6-6 draw with Charlton in 1960 - which remains a Football League high-scoring game record to this day.

They were so clinical and ruthless at Oxford that it wouldn't have been out of their reach to have broken that record at Oxford, in the club's first visit to the Kassam Stadium. After so much early-season frustration at not finishing chances, Boro are now the Championship's top scorers and Emmanuel Latte Lath is third in the goalscoring charts.

The negative

Boro did concede two goals in this one and it could have been more but for some good Brynn saves. While you don't well too much on a negative after a result like this, Carrick did say himself after that tightening up at the back was mentioned. The first was a result of Oxford's natural indirect set-piece threat, but the second one, which could have quite easily set up for a less than comfortable finish had they not quickly added two more of their own, was sloppy and avoidable. They'll have tougher tests than this one ahead, which is why they must use it as a shot in the arm.

The verdict

The weather may have been awful, but this was certainly one way to reward the sold-out away end for their efforts in getting to Oxford in such conditions. A brilliant, third consecutive Boro win, it lifts Boro up to fifth in the Championship. With Boro raining goals heavier than the sky at Oxford, things really look to have clicked.

Carrick naturally won't get carried away. Things can change very quickly and they must quickly get ready to go again in tough home games against Blackburn and Hull in the next seven days. But there is a really positive feel about Boro right now as they finally start to look like the promotion-worthy candidates we hoped they could be at the start.