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Middlesbrough have won four straight league games three times this season Middlesbrough halved the gap on Championship leaders Coventry City to just three points as they cruised past Preston North End. The game was over by half-time as Boro went in three goals up courtesy of former North End captain Alan Browne, Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker. Visiting defender Jordan Storey was shown a straight red card just after the break before Conway added a fourth goal to complete an easy win. It was a fourth successive win for the hosts, a run in which they have scored 13 goals, as Boro put pressure on the Sky Blues, who do not play until Monday night when they travel to Norwich City. Preston have now lost three successive games for the first time all season - all without scoring - as their play-off hopes have taken a real dent. Yet Paul Heckingbottom's side were appealing for a penalty inside the first two minutes when the ball appeared to hit Matt Targett's hand. Nothing was given and, shortly after, Boro were in their stride as Browne, a veteran of more than 400 games at Deepdale, was in acres of space to receive Targett's fine pass and score his third in five matches to put his current club ahead. The Republic of Ireland midfielder could have made it two, but the second did not take too long to arrive as Luke Ayling's ball put Conway through and he did the rest. Boro were completely dominant and that was given a further boost three minutes before the break when Lewis Gibson was dispossessed by Whittaker on the edge of the box and he mercilessly drilled it past Jack Walton for his 11th goal of the season. Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg had worried about the tight turnaround between playing at Stoke City on Wednesday night and this lunchtime kick-off, but he had no need to as the visitors' misery continued. Storey lost control of the ball when he was the last man and fouled Conway as North End had a player sent off for the second game in a row. And when Walton pushed Leo Castledine's free-kick back into the danger area, Boro's number nine was quickest to react to make it four, as he scored twice in a game for the first time since November 2024. The result matched Boro's biggest win of the season, as they continue to push for a return to the Premier League for the first time in nine years. However, this was Preston's heaviest league defeat since December 2023, and they have lost all three games since first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Iversen picked up a groin injury in training, with his absence leaving a big hole. Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees: "It's weird when you put so much emotion into the game and it's over after 60 minutes. But what a performance from the lads, what energy. "Going away to play Stoke on a Wednesday night, travelling eight hours back and forth on the bus, having the West Bromwich game, 16, 17 hours on the bus back and forth, then one day less of rest playing this game on Saturday lunchtime, which is the shortest amount of rest you can get in between games. "Then to put in that type of energetic performance, that is unbelievable from the players. " This video can not be played Hellberg: 'Top, top performance' Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The goals were all mistakes, all errors, so you're never going to win games if you give goals away like that. "We've gifted the game to Boro but they're a good side - it would have been hard enough anyway not doing that. "But I can't accept that we come to a place like this and just because they're a good side we roll over. "We've shown in spells this season that we can play to those levels. Our challenge is putting a group together that can do it for 46 games. " This video can not be played 'The goals were all mistakes. You're never going to win games if you give goals away like that' - Heckingbottom After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 24th January 2026 at 15: 50 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Kim Hellberg Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 Manager: Paul Heckingbottom Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 Manager: Kim Hellberg Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 Manager: Paul Heckingbottom Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 Championship All competitions All competitions All competitions Middlesbrough are unbeaten across their last three home league games against Preston North End (W2 D1), netting nine goals in those matches. Since the start of 2022-23, it’s the most goals they’ve netted on home soil against any side in the Championship. Preston North End are unbeaten across their last four league games against Middlesbrough (W2 D2), while they last enjoyed a longer unbeaten run in this fixture between December 1951 and December 1953 (five games). This is Middlesbrough’s first league game on a Saturday since before Christmas, losing 2-0 at Bristol City. They’ve not lost consecutive Saturday matches since a run of three in January/February last year. Preston have lost their last two league games, though both have come at home. They last lost more consecutively in April last season (4). Morgan Whittaker has scored six goals in 12 home league appearances for Middlesbrough this season; at least three times as many as any of his teammates at the Riverside (2 for David Strelec, Hayden Hackney, Tommy Conway and Dael Fry). Match ends, Middlesbrough 4, Preston North End 0. Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 4, Preston North End 0. Foul by Sam Silvera (Middlesbrough). Ali Mc Cann (Preston North End) wins a free kick on the left wing. Finley Munroe (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ali Mc Cann (Preston North End). Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time. Alan Browne (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ali Mc Cann (Preston North End). Foul by Leo Castledine (Middlesbrough). Pol Valentín (Preston North End) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Finley Munroe (Middlesbrough). Pol Valentín (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Middlesbrough. Finley Munroe replaces Adilson Malanda because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Jordan Thompson (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Delay in match because of an injury Adilson Malanda (Middlesbrough). Offside, Middlesbrough. Leo Castledine is caught offside. Foul by Dael Fry (Middlesbrough). Michael Smith (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.