Barnsley 0 Middlesbrough 2: Karanka demanding 
more clinical finishing

Second-half goals from Jelle Vossen and Daniel Ayala gave Boro victory in a third-round tie they dominated.

The visitors were well on top in a first half delayed by a gas leak at the ground with Kike, Vossen, Lee Tomlin and Patrick Bamford all going close to scoring.

Vossen found the target three minutes into the second half 
after pouncing on a loose ball inside the area before slotting a low shot past Ross Turnbull.

Kike threatened to increase Boro’s lead when he headed against the bar from Tomlin’s cross.

Although Boro’s Adam Clayton was sent off in the 77th minute after receiving a second yellow card, for a challenge on Leroy Lita, Ayala made sure of the result seven minutes later when he headed home a second goal from Grant Leadbitter’s corner.

Karanka said: “The main thing is to get through though so the work is done.

“It wasn’t easy because when we lost Clayton it was a different game

“I’d have been happier if we’d converted our chances. We have to improve and keep concentrating.

“We had five or six great chances and we had to score them because we could have been four or five up at half-time. If we’d have scored earlier it would have been different, but the job is done.”

Commenting on the injury to Rhys Williams, who went off in the opening few minutes after making his first start in almost a year, Karanka said: “The worst thing today is a serious injury to Rhys. I wish him all the best.

“He’ll have a scan and we will know more.”

On speculation linking him with the managerial vacancy at Newcastle United, Karanka commented: “It is a surprise to me.” Asked if he was committed to Middlesbrough, he said: “120 per cent.”

Barnsley manager Danny Wilson said: “Of course I’m disappointed. We’d set a certain game plan up to frustrate them because they’re a very good side.

“They had some chances in the first half and there were a couple of good saves from Ross (Turnbull), but we did stifle them.

“In the second half, the disappointing thing was that the two goals we did concede were sloppy.

“I thought at 1-0 we were still in the game and then we conceded, which killed us off. We had some very good situations that just petered away because of a loose pass. It’s an area we’ve got to work on.”

Barnsley: Turnbull, Holgate, Ramage, Nyatanga, Smith; Berry (Boakye-Yiadom 82), Digby, Hourihane, Jennings; Hemmings (Oates 69), Lita. Unused substitutes: Brown, Davies, Abbott, Cowgill, Bailey.

Middlesbrough: Mejias, Williams (Veljkovic 5), Ayala, Omeruo; Husband, Clayton, Whitehead, Tomlin (Leadbitter 80), Vossen, Bamford; Garcia (Reach 66). Unused substitutes: Friend, Gibson, Ledesma, Ripley.

Referee: D Whitestone (Northants).

Man of the match: Jelle Vossen.