Middlesbrough welcomed Sheffield Wednesday to the Riverside knowing a win would put them top of the Championship before their rivals play on Saturday.
The lowly Owls were dominated from the off and eventually went down 3-1 on Teesside thanks to Boro strikes from Justin Hoyte, Ishmael Miller and Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Gary Madine had equalised for the visitors but his goal should never have been given because of an unseen offside.
Find out how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute live coverage below.
Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening. Click here to read our match report and make sure you join us for the usual Saturday madness tomorrow. Good night!
Middlesbrough go top of the Championship thanks to an easy win over lowly Wednesdays, with Hoyte, Miller and Jutkiewicz bagging the goals for Tony Mowbray's side. Madine got the Wednesday goal but it should never have been given as he was a long way offside.
Boro 3-1 Wednesday
Three minutes added on.
CHANCE! Madine again looks a mile offside but he was in fact being played on by Hoyte. The ball skips to him and the whole Boro defence stops as Steele keeps him out. That would have made for an interesting last couple of minutes.
The points are sealed for Boro and this match is petering out drastically.
Wednesday make their final two changes as Chris O'Grady replaces Corry and Rhys McCabe takes the place of Barkley.
Easy peasy for the hosts as substitute Jutkiewicz is given too much room at the near post to head home Leadbitter's corner. Game over.
GOAL! BORO SEAL THE POINTS! JUTKIEWICZ!
Wednesday also make a sub as Bothroyd is taken off for Jermaine Johnson.
Final change for Boro as Emnes is replaced by Faris Haroun.
CHANCE! Emnes gets into the area and should cut it back for McDonald but he looks for Jutkiewicz and Llera is able to hoof clear.
CLOSE! Ledesma's quick feet earn him a yard of space on the edge of the area and he fires goalwards. It takes a deflection off Gardner before bouncing just wide. Boro looking for a third.
Super cross from Antonio but there was almost too much pace on it for Madine to make contact. Antonio has been the Owls' most dangerous player by a long way tonight, real quality.
Second substitution for Boro as goalscorer Miller is taken off for Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Another cracking through pass from Ledesma causes all sorts of problems in the Wednesday defence. The midfielder finds McDonald who prods goalwards and it is heading in until Miller, who was following up, makes sure from a couple of yards.
GOAL! BORO RETAKE THE LEAD! MILLER!
Up the other end and Bothroyd and Barkley exchange passes before the former fires high, wide and handsome from 20 yards.
Leadbitter wins a 50-50 and is given time to have a go from outside the box but it's easy enough for Kirkland, who holds on low to his right.
Emnes cuts onto his right and overhits his cross but it's not far from finding the far corner. Boro have responded well to the equaliser.
Uh oh, that's a controversial one. Bothroyd floats it in to Antonio, who chests it down and into Madine but the forward is a good two yards offside. The linesman, however, does not see it and Madine tucks home from eight yards.
GOAL! WEDNESDAY EQUALISE! MADINE!
Second half underway.
Jonathan Woodgate picked up a calf problem in the opening half and has now been replaced by Sebastian Hines. Good news for the Wednesday attack as Woodgate had looked strong.
It's been a bit of a drab affair lit up by Hoyte's beauty and that marvellous, jinxing run from McEachran that deserved a goal. Let's hope for a resurgent second half from Wednesday otherwise Boro could see this out at a leisurely pace.
Click here to read my good friend and colleague Barney Corkhill's report on the opening period.
A rather comfortable first 45 for Boro, who lead thanks to Hoyte's outside-of-the-boot screamer in the 13th minute.
Boro 1-0 Wednesday
One minute added on.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner Wednesday are inches from equalising. Bothroyd's corner is flicked goalwards and Llera sticks out a leg and the ball rolls just wide.
SHOT! Antonio skins one Boro defender before trying to curl it into the far corner but Steele is equal to it.
Good interplay once more from the home side on the edge of the Wednesday box but it ends as Friend's skews his cross out of play. Really simmering down as we approach half-time on Teesside.
Leadbitter has a pop from distance and it takes a flick off Corry before Kirkland easily gathers.
Patient play from Boro comes to an end as Miller overhits his through ball for McDonald.
CHANCE! What a run from McEachran! He dances in-and-out of virtually the entire Wednesday defence before watching his low shot be kept out by the feet of Kirkland. That would have been some goal. Worth a look later for the run alone.
Wonderful raking pass from Barkley finds Antonio but the winger uses his upper arm to control it.
Speculative long-range effort from the in-form Barkley with Steele off his line that is always rising and doesn't trouble the goal.
CHANCE! Opening for Wednesday as Antonio twists-and-turns on the wing and fizzes over a cross that finds Bothroyd, who takes a touch before swivelling and volleying low into the palms of Steele. Better from the visitors.
Wednesday give it away cheaply and Miller has a chance to run at Llera but the Spanish centre-half deals with the threat comfortably.
"We are top of the league, say we are top of the league," sing the Boro fans.
Leadbitter whips it in and Kirkland does well to palm it away from danger. Wednesday now looking ropey after conceding that goal.
Miller's quick feet are too good for Gardner and Boro have a free kick in a very dangerous position.
Wow, wow, wow! Ledesma finds the right-back with a clever through ball and Hoyte takes it on first time with the outside of his right foot. Kirkland stands no chance as the ball arcs past him and in off the crossbar. Some finish, that.
GOAL! BORO TAKE THE LEAD! WHAT A FINISH FROM HOYTE!
Bothroyd is afforded plenty of room left of centre about 25 yards out and strikes it cleanly but that was never going in. Always wide.
Friend's ball back across defence is misplaced and Antonio has the chance to run at Woodgate but the former Real Madrid man stands up well, forcing a corner.
Bothroyd's delivery causes problems and Llera has a chance from 12 yards but his volley is blocked.
Friend charges up the field and leaves a big hole at left-back which Madine runs into before being fouled by Bikey.
Semedo is a bit late on McDonald but escapes a caution. Boro having much more of the ball at the moment.
Kirkland spills the ball under his own crossbar but manages to gather it up before any danger.
Leadbitter's fierce inswinger has to be tipped over by Kirkland. Good start this from Boro.
Clever reverse pass from Ledesma finds Emnes and his cross is blocked away for an early corner.
Wednesday get us underway.
Woodgate wins the toss for Boro and elects to stick at the same end. We're now going to have a minute's silence ahead of remembrance weekend.
Middlesbrough born-and-bred wounded soldier James Rose delivers the matchball onto the pitch. Boro are in their traditional all-red with white trim while Wednesday have their bright yellow and blue away kit.
Here come the players, we're just minutes from kick off.
For the visitors, last season's goal machine Gary Madine, who has struggled to settle in the Championship, is restored to the starting lineup.
Boro are boosted by the return of prolific frontman Marvin Emnes, with Jonathan Woodgate also returning to the heart of defence for the hosts.
Kirkland; Buxton, Gardner, D Jones, Llera; Semedo, Antonio, Corry, Barkley; Madine, Bothroyd
Steele; Hoyte, Woodgate, Bikey, Friend; Leadbitter, McEachran, Ledesma; Emnes, McDonald, Miller
TEAM NEWS AHOY!
Mowbray tells Sky Sports News: "I think the points are the most important thing. To finish top of the Championship is great, obviously."
The last time the pair met was over two-and-a-half years ago and Boro came out on top thanks to a first-half Scott McDonald goal.
Newly-promoted Wednesday are just three points from the drop zone after the midweek loss to Blackpool.
Tony Mowbray's men are the division's form side and currently occupy second place behind Crystal Palace.
Evening all! Just under half an hour until kick off on Teesside.
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
Pascal Lemesre
