Lankshear double sends Middlesbrough top with 5-1 win at Bolton

Middlesbrough moved to the top of the Championship with a 5-1 victory at Bolton Wanderers on Friday, October 23, as Will Lankshear scored twice. According to BBC Sport, the result took Kim Hellberg's team to 25 points from 12 matches, with seven league wins recorded before the rest of the weekend's fixtures.

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BBC's match report described an opening goal that followed a chance at the other end. Ruben Rodrigues had a shot saved by Radek Vitek before Middlesbrough attacked and Amario Cozier-Duberry supplied Aidan Morris to score in the 13th minute. Tommy Conway then set up Lankshear for a close-range finish in the 31st minute, doubling the visitors' advantage.

Bolton fell further behind eight minutes later when Adilson Malanda's header from a corner went in off Lewis Brunt for an own goal. Theo Bair replied in first-half stoppage time after a pass from Gaizka Larrazabal, leaving the home side trailing 3-1 at the interval. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu also made saves to deny Cozier-Duberry and Lankshear.

Middlesbrough added two more goals after the break. Cozier-Duberry scored in the 73rd minute and Lankshear completed his double five minutes later at the end of a counter-attack. The goals secured a four-goal winning margin at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and left Bolton without a second-half reply despite an improvement after the interval.

In its separate post-match coverage, BBC Sport reported that Middlesbrough produced 31 attempts, with 12 on target. Lankshear's double increased his Championship total to 11 goals in 12 appearances, putting him four ahead of Southampton's Cyle Larin in the scoring standings. The 21-year-old now has 13 goals across all competitions for Boro this season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, Lankshear credited Conway and Cozier-Duberry for their contributions and expressed his appreciation for being part of the team. Hellberg also praised the number of chances created and the involvement of his substitutes. Middlesbrough's points total matches their return at the same stage last season, when they eventually finished fifth.