CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Middlesbrough v Coventry 07/09/96 3.00

Middlesbrough           (2) 4 Coventry                (0) 0 FT
Ravanelli 3,73                
Juninho 28,80

Fabrizio Ravanelli made it six goals in three home games as Middlesbrough claimed their second comfortable home win in four days against bottom club Coventry.

And Brazilian star Juninho weighed in with two goals himself as Coventry were run outclassed.

Ravanelli had fired a hat-trick against Liverpool on his home debut and claimed another in Boro's 4-1 midweek win over West Ham.

This time Ron Atkinson's men were on the receiving end of a deadly double strike as the Italian international continued his Riverside Stadium goal spree.

Ravanelli set Boro on their way when he headed home Juninho's third-minute corner and thumped home his second on 73 minutes to kill off Coventry's comeback hopes.

Ravanelli was denied a second home hat-trick with 85 minutes gone when Steve Ogrizovic tipped over a left-foot curler destined for the top corner.

Juninho, who had grabbed Boro's second goal after 28 minutes, completed the rout 11 minutes from time with his second after Ravanelli had carved open Coventry's over-run defence.

Boro's season had been given lift-off in midweek with a 4-1 demolition of West Ham and a fluent first-half performance against Coventry provided the foundations for a second home victory in four days.

Nicky Barmby scorned a second-minute opening slicing his left-foot shot wide after Ravanelli's neat pass had left him with only Steve Ogrizovic to beat but Coventry's reprieve was short-lived.

Juninho's third-minute right-wing corner was delivered with pace and Ravanelli escaped his markers to power a downward header past Ogrizovic.

Boro were looking awesome when they moved forward. Emerson was a powerhouse in midfield and the darting runs of Juninho and Barmby, along with Ravanelli's neat footwork in and around the box, had Coventry's overworked defence at full stretch.

Richard Shaw blocked Ravanelli's goal-bound shot after Juninho had set the crowed alight with an audacious flick over Brian Borrows and a scampering run deep into Coventry territory.

But Boro were not to be denied a second goal and Juninho provided it after 28 minutes. Robbie Mustoe's pass found the Brazilian on the edge of the area and he steered a low shot wide of Ogrizovic into the bottom left corner.

Boro were rampant now and Coventry were looking poor as the home attacks swept over them. Paul Williams blocked another Ravanelli effort and David Burrows' last-ditch interception prevented Juninho playing Barmby in behind the visitors' defence.

Coventry briefly lifted the siege and Alan Miller dived to his right to claw away Salako's crisply-struck left-foot volley from Eoin Jess' cross.

Boro went for the kill at the start of the second-half with Juninho's darting runs from midfield posing all manner of problems for Coventry's defence.

But Coventry weathered the early storm and then threatened to force their way back into the game.

Steve Vickers almost gifted them a goal with an underhit back pass which forced Miller to make a hurried clearance with Gary McAllister bearing down on him.

Miller then came to rescue with two saves in quick succession. First he tipped Shaw's downward header onto his left-hand post, and enjoyed a stroke of good fortune as the ball rebounded into his arms, and then he dived low to his left to claw away Paul Telfer's low shot.

But Coventry's threatened revival disintegrated when Ravanelli found space on the edge of the area to curl a left foot shot beyond Ogrizovic into the bottom right corner after 73 minutes.

And Juninho rubbed salt into the wounds when he walked in a fourth 11 minutes from time after Ravanelli's pass had left him with only Ogrizovic to beat.