Kim Hellberg sees 'big opportunity' in promotion race after Middlesbrough thrash Watford

Kim Hellberg was left satisfied after Middlesbrough took their push for automatic promotion into the Premier League to the final day of the Championship with a big home win against Watford.

Boro went into the Riverside Stadium clash on the back of a narrow home win against already relegated Sheffield Wednesday that kept up the pressure on fellow promotion contenders Millwall and Ipswich Town going into the penultimate weekend of the season. An opportunity presented itself when both of their rivals only collected solitary points from their own fixtures over the weekend - and Boro took full advantage with aplomb after swiping aside the Hornets with a dominant display.

Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway led the way as the forward duo both scored twice and David Strelec also found the net as Hellberg’s men strolled to a big win to round off their home fixtures for the regular season in some style. Even a James Abankwah goal for the visitors could not take the shine from what had been an impressive display across the pitch that produced a result that keeps Boro in with a chance of snatching runners-up spot on the final day of the campaign.

Reflecting on the win and the display, Hellberg praised his players for seizing ‘a big opportunity’ and believes the victory has given his side ‘a lot of energy’ going into next weekend’s visit to Wrexham.

He told BBC Radio Tees Sport: "I talked about if we won the two home games, it has a big opportunity to take it to the last day, which we've done. It was also one thing to secure the play-offs, that we have done. Winning at home, that we have done. Scoring six goals, only conceding one - so that was a lot of important things going into this week.

“And we've also shown quality in the second half, in how good we can be, and in the game at Ipswich. So, it's a lot of things that have been very good with this week. There is a lot of energy going into the last days of the season, and I'm really, really looking forward to it."

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