Hackney Remains Confident Despite Middlesbrough’s 3-1 Loss to Leeds United

Middlesbrough experienced a 3-1 loss against Championship leaders Leeds United on Tuesday, failing to convert their second-half momentum into an advantage. Despite the outcome, captain Hayden Hackney expressed that his confidence remains unshaken. Hackney stated to BBC Radio Tees, “We can compete with the highest teams.” He further elaborated, “Although the result hasn’t gone for us, I think we’ve showed that if those chances do fall and we do put our chances away – especially in the second half – it could have been a different game.” Middlesbrough achieved an equalizer early in the second half when Leeds defender Max Wober inadvertently headed the ball into his own net following a corner kick delivered by Dan Barlaser. Subsequently, the visiting team had a chance to take the lead courtesy of Liverpool loanee Ben Doak; however, Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier advanced from his position to thwart the offensive play. The home squad soon established their own lead, ultimately securing their victory with a goal from Brenden Aaronson during injury time. Nevertheless, Hackney is not dwelling extensively on the missed opportunities. “We will take the positives from this. We will look at the game, see what we can do better and go again on Saturday,” the midfielder further stated. Middlesbrough is scheduled to host Millwall this weekend at 15:00 GMT. The complete post-match reactions are available for listening on BBC Sounds. Sandi Toksvig features alongside Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Alan Davies. Opportunities are available to sing along to tracks by Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, and other artists. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble return to cover the festive events at Longleat Safari Park. Topics range from microplastics found in our air, soil, and waterways, to the current levels of food waste during this period. © 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.