Quickfire goals see Boro battle back to beat Hull

A three-goal blitz in six minutes saw Middlesbrough fight back from a goal down to keep their very slim Championship automatic promotion hopes alive with victory over Hull City.

Hayden Hackney levelled for the hosts with a composed finish from sub Isaiah Jones’ low centre and Cameron Archer quickly slotted them into the lead when the Hull defence failed to deal with a long ball up the pitch.

Championship top scorer Chuba Akpom then slammed home his side’s third and his 29th goal of the campaign to secure the points against a shell-shocked Tigers.

Akpom has now scored in nine successive home matches and probably should have added to his tally later on as the home side continued to press for more goals.

Michael Carrick’s men, who must win their final three games and hope Sheffield United pick up a maximum of one point from their remaining four matches if they are to pinch second place, have now scored eight in their past two matches.

Boro thumped Norwich 5-1 on Friday and looked to pick up where they left off, as Hackney, who scored his side’s second against the Canaries, saw a low drive come crashing back off the post inside the first five minutes.

Hull grew into the contest though and Dimitrios Pelkas should have hit the target after he was teed up on the edge of the area after a neat passing move opened the home side up.

Marcus Forss was denied the opener by a fine save from Karl Darlow in the Hull goal and Cameron Archer flashed a shot wide before Sayyadmanesh headed in his second goal of the season.

Carrick brought on Anfernee Djiksteel and Jones at the break and the changes paid almost immediate dividends when the latter hared after Akpom’s wonderfully weighted pass from the halfway line and teed up Hackney for the equaliser.

Aston Villa loanee Archer made the most of uncertainty between Sean McLoughlin and Darlow to slide a low shot home and Akpom then got in on the act with a crisp shot across goal after controlling another low Jones cross into box.

Boro could and perhaps should have added more gloss to the scoreline but three was enough and their attention will now turn to a huge game at third-placed Luton Town on Monday.

This was a first defeat in six for Hull, who now host out-of-sorts Watford on Saturday.