MIDDLESBROUGH PUT ON a five-star show as they hammered rivals Norwich 5-1 to move up to third in the Championship.
Boro brought a three-game winless run to an end in emphatic fashion, running in four goals in a breathless first half before adding their fifth just after the break.
It was a night to forget for Norwich, who were captained by Ireland defender Andrew Omobamidele.
At the opposite end, his international teammate Darragh Lenihan had as comfortable an evening as you could imagine.
Aston Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey got things going for Boro with an early opener before Hayden Hackney added a second. Cameron Archer scored a double late in the first half, either side of Josh Sargent hitting the net for the visitors.
The Championship’s top scorer Chuba Akpom wrapped up the statement victory early in the second half.
Boro are five points behind second place Sheffield United having played two games more, but the heavy defeat leaves Norwich in eighth, two points behind sixth-placed Blackburn, who have two games in hand.
Norwich actually started well at the Riverside and created early chances for Teemu Pukki and Sargent.
They were made to pay for missing those opportunities when Ramsey opened the scoring with Boro’s first attack of the game on seven minutes. Norwich’s defence was cut open and Archer teed up his Villa teammate for a tap-in.
Ramsey’s night was cut short when he was replaced before the half-hour mark with an ankle injury.
Boro thought they had doubled their lead when Lenihan headed in Jonny Howson’s cross but the offside flag was up.
But it was only a brief let-off for the visitors, and Boro did get their second on 41 minutes – the first of four goals in a 10-minute spell.
Hackney scored the second when he brilliantly converted Marcus Forss’ cross with a well-timed half-volley. It was the midfielder’s first goal since Carrick’s appointment.
Boro scored their third on 43 minutes. Substitute Mowatt played in Archer, who calmly slotted into the bottom corner for his seventh goal since his January arrival.
Boro were in complete control but handed Norwich a lifeline in the last minute of the first half when Paddy McNair was dispossessed and Sargent took full advantage.
But Boro re-established their three-goal lead in the sixth minute of stoppage time, with the sloppy Norwich defence failing to clear a Ryan Giles free-kick and Archer hammering home his second and Boro’s fourth.
It was five just four minutes into the second half. Archer, on his hat-trick, could have gone for goal inside the box but instead teed up Akpom for his 27th league goal of the season.
Norwich came close to a consolation when Gabriel Sara saw his shot cannon back off the post and the Canaries should have had a penalty when Ryan Giles mistimed a tackle on Max Aarons, but referee Josh Smith waved away the protests.
