Report: Middlesbrough 0-1 Rovers

Andi Weimann’s second half strike was enough as Rovers secured a second successive 1-0 win at Middlesbrough and book a place in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup.

The Austrian, who’d previously scored in the Carabao Cup and Sky Bet Championship, found the net in his third competition in 2024-25 with his sixth goal of the season.

The experienced striker smashed home with 20 minutes remaining, capitalising on a Matt Clarke clearance to make no mistake and deservedly win the game for Rovers, who had opportunities both before and after the match-winning moment to add to the tally.

Harry Leonard had three opportunities - hitting the bar in the first half before nodding over and then firing wide in the second period.

At the other end, Boro only had chances from range, with Hayden Hackney going closest to sending the all-Championship tie to extra time when he forced debutant Balazs Toth into tipping away from danger.

The boss made five changes to the side that started the Lancashire derby against Burnley a week previously, with a first outing handed to Toth and recalls given to John Buckley, Joe Rankin-Costello Weimann and Leonard on Teesside.

Ex-Boro man Danny Batth also started against his old employers as Eustace selected his usual back four ahead of Toth, who took the place of another former Boro player in Aynsley Pears.

It was a slow burner in freezing conditions and it took until the 33rd minute for the first opportunity of the game to arise, with Riley McGree, who was one of six changes made by Michael Carrick, dragging wide of debutant Toth’s right-hand post with his unflavoured right foot.

Seconds later and it was Rovers who went close to breaking the deadlock, with Rankin-Costello feeding Weimann, who took a touch in the box before - under pressure from Clarke - digging an attempt wide of Tom Glover’s left-hand post.

McGree went close again with half time looming, this time firing into the turf and watching the ball bobble comfortably wide of the target after Dan Barlaser’s cross from the right bounced off Delano Burgzorg and into the path of the Australian, who was lurking 12 yards from goal.

Rovers went even closer to taking the lead into the interval when Leonard clattered the crossbar from eight yards out with only two minutes of the half remaining, with Weimann picking out the striker, who latched onto the cross with his left foot and, although he beat Glover with his cushioned volley, the bar saved the Australian stopper.

Leonard went close again just four minutes into the second period, this time looping a header just over the top of Glover’s upright after Weimann’s intelligent clip into a dangerous area.

That kicked Carrick’s men into life and after Toth helped over Alex Gilbert’s snapshot from inside the box, Barlaser then lashed wide of the Hungarian’s right-hand post soon after.

Penalty appeals were waved away on the hour when Leonard went to ground in the box under Anfernee Dijksteel’s barge in the back, but Dean Whitestone waved away the appeals before Boro came at the other end with Alex Gilbert smashing comfortably wide.

A glorious chance came and went for Rovers and Weimann with under 25 minutes remaining when the Austrian hunted down Glover and got round the stopper, but after waiting for the ball to bounce, he somehow scooped over the top of the bar with the net open, although Glover did get back to recover and put the 33-year-old under pressure.

However, the frontman made amends moments later when he devastatingly slammed past Weimann and into the back of the net.

A tempting ball in from Owen Beck was cleared as far as Weimann, who walked onto the ball from just inside the box and thumped home in ruthless fashion to silence the Boro fans who were jeering him for his earlier miss.

Leonard could and should have doubled the tally and potentially have secured progress into round four just a minute or two later, but he hit wide of Glover’s left-hand post with 20 minutes remaining to leave the door open for the hosts to hit back.

Substitute Hayden Hackney looked to respond for Boro, but his effort from range was parried away by Toth, who looked pretty well set for a clean sheet behind a team that were defending well in front of him.

There was almost a second with just a couple of minutes left when a breakaway involving substitutes Makhtar Gueye and Tyrhys Dolan led to Rankin-Costello smashing wide of the target from the edge of the box.

There was also a moment to remember for Harley O’Grady-Macken at the end, with the midfielder the latest to progress through the Academy and into the first-team when he replaced match-winner Weimann for the two minutes of additional time.

Rovers return to action on Wednesday night when Portsmouth make the long trip north in the Championship, kick-off 7.45pm.