Middlesbrough will play Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final in two weeks thanks to a first-leg advantage gained by Hayden Hackney’s goal in the first half of the match.
Chelsea had the better of the possession game but was unable to generate much of any meaningful scoring opportunities; their two gilt-edged chances in the first half came about as a result of mistakes made by Boro.
Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Bangura both left the field in the opening 20 minutes of the match, and it was a testament to Michael Carrick’s team that they managed to overcome those early setbacks.
Eight minutes before halftime, Isaiah Jones scored the goal by racing down the right wing, dodging Levi Colwill’s advances, and sliding a ball across the six-yard box, which Hackney met with a side-footed shot into the far bottom corner at full speed.
Chelsea dominated possession in the second half, spending most of it in the Boro half. However, they were largely content to shoot from long range, and the Championship team did not appear to be under too much pressure.
The teams rematch at Stamford Bridge on January 23.