Tommy Conway and Finn Azaz grab the goals as Middlesbrough return to winning ways against Hull

With fresh reinforcements in tow, Middlesbrough quickly got back to winning ways as they beat Hull City 3-1 to cement their place in the Championship top six.

The returning Finn Azaz (2) and Tommy Conway scored the goals as Boro quickly put the disappointment of their midweek Blackburn Rovers defeat behind them to win a fourth game in five and stay in the top six. Managerless Hull lost for a fifth successive match to stay in the bottom three.

Michael Carrick made five changes to the side that was beaten by Blackburn in midweek. Able to welcome back Hayden Hackney, Azaz and Delano Burgzorg, Jonny Howson and Emmanuel Latte Lath dropped to bench, while Riley McGree missed out altogether.

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The other two changes were fatigue-inspired in a three-game week as Anfernee Dijksteel replaced Luke Ayling at right-back. Dael Fry, meanwhile, came back into the starting lineup for the first time since February, replacing Matt Clarke.

Boro needed a response from Wednesday night’s defeat and with the returning players making an immediate impact, it looked like a side with far more intent and purpose from the off.

Fears that, without a permanent manager after the sacking of Tim Walter in midweek, Hull would come and stick ten men behind the ball proved wrong too. The visiting side were ambitious enough to come to the Riverside and try and play, albeit without having the cutting edge to test Sol Brynn.

In turn, Boro were trying to capitalise on the opposition’s mental fragility as they tried to play out from the back and had some early success and nearly-moments in turning over possession as Hull tried to play out from the back.

When Hull managed to get beyond the press though, Boro left themselves at risk to being overrun, with Hackney often joining the forward four in the press. Just moments before Boror grabbed their lead, they could have found the game turning dramatically for the worse.

Striker Joao Pedro was played in behind and in a foot race with Neto Borges, the pair went shoulder to shoulder before the Hull forward fell to the floor. The referee deemed the challenge fair in a really tight moment that, had been adjudged a foul, would have seen Boro down to ten men with over an hour to play.

Boro didn’t have to wait much longer to make their better attacking quality count. The press worked effectively this time as Hackney read the attempted ball out from the back. Azaz profited and, twisting and turning in the penalty area, he created half a yard for himself before producing a wonderful curled finish into the far corner.

Hull responded well to going behind and while still not threatening Brynn’s goal, continued to show plenty of ambition to quickly get back into the game. With enough quality, it would have only taken one moment, but Boro stayed switched on at the back, with Ben Doak really coming to life with the counter-attacking opportunities presented to him as a result.

After two nearly moments where his cutbacks were so close to finding Tommy Conway at the back post - including one in which Boro were adamant Xavier Simons handballed it - Doak came up with something different in the 41st minute to extend Boro’s lead to two.

Dijksteel did well to keep an attack alive when Burgzorg underhit his pass to Doak and, with the Liverpool loan man inside the area, he showed excellent vision and craft to produce a unique chipped cross to the back post. Conway complemented the wonderful ball with an equally clever finish, looping his header back across goal and into the far corner - a bit of comfort for Boro at the interval.

Just six minutes after the restart Boro were close to a third and they started the second half with a real killer instinct. Hackney drove and played the ball ahead to Azaz who quickly turned it around the corner for Doak. He then drove into the penalty area before firing the cutback across goal as Lewie Coyle then had Ivor Pandur to thank as he just about kept out what would have been an own goal.

Burgorg was so unfortunate not to get in on the act on 64 minutes. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, he did well to deceive his marker on the turn before unleashing a vicious effort at goal. Pandur got a strong hand to turn the ball over the bar.

Not taking the chances made for a nervy finish when Hull pulled one back in the 71st minute. As Andy Dawson threw on attack-minded options, including former Boro loanee Ryan Giles, it was former Sunderland man Mason Burstow who grabbed his first for the Tigers - getting on the end of Abu Kamara’s cross at the back post.

Boro were soon denied by another outstanding Pandur save as they looked to give themselves that cushion again. The Hull keeper produced a point-blank save to deny Doak, who was an unlikely figure rising in the six-yard box to head the ball goalwards after a clever Dael Fry flick on.

Boro found what they needed on 79 minutes though. Doak was the architect again as he galloped up the right flank again. This time, rather than beat his man he slid a simple pass into Conway who knocked it wide of the near post with his first touch to gain the space to then turn and finish from the tight angle with his second touch.

The goal sealed the victory and a perfect response for Boro to quickly get back to winning ways, and looking good while doing it. They cemented their place in the play-off places of the Championship, with two big games now following away at promotion rivals Burnley and Leeds United.