Preston 1 Middlesbrough 3: Mowbray's men cruise through at Deepdale

By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

Goals from Emmanuel Ledesma, Merouane Zemmama and Richard Smallwood put Middlesbrough through to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup as they made easy work of Preston at Deepdale.

North End took Championship scalps from Huddersfield and Crystal Palace to reach this stage of the competition, but the challenge of an impressive Middlesbrough proved too much as a trio of defensive errors put them out at the third round for the fourth year running.

Easy does it: Middlesbrough celebrate as they cruise through against Preston

Easy does it: Middlesbrough celebrate as they cruise through against Preston

Match facts

Preston: Simonsen, Mousinho (Procter 86), Huntington,
Cansdell-Sherriff, Laird, Monakana (Hayhurst 79), Wroe, King (Cummins 79), Amoo, Beavon, Byrom.

Subs Not Used: Stuckmann, Buchanan, Welsh, Wright.

Goal: King 40.

Middlesbrough: Leutwiler, Parnaby, Hines, McManus, Halliday, Bailey, Smallwood, Arca (Thomson 86), Zemmama (Emnes 62), Luke Williams, Ledesma (Haroun 63).

Subs Not Used: Ripley, Bikey, Jutkiewicz, Park.

Goals: Ledesma 13,Zemmama 18, Smallwood 61

Both Ledesma and Andrew Halliday claimed to have scored Boro's 13th-minute opener, with the Argentinian's inswinging corner striking the far post and rolling over the line with Halliday making sure by bundling in.

Five minutes later, Preston allowed Zemmama far too much time to shoot into the bottom corner from 25 yards five minutes later, but the hosts pulled one back through Jack King's smart finish on 40 minutes.

Smallwood capped a comfortable win for Boro on 61 minutes, pouncing on the loose ball after Preston defender Paul Huntington headed Zemmama's cross back to Steve Simonsen, too powerfully for the keeper to hold, as the visitors eased to victory.

Boro continued their fine form after last week's win over Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.



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