Debutant Swift secures opening point for WBA at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough and West Brom shared the points in their opening Championship game of the 2022/23 season after a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium.

Chris Wilder’s Boro – who missed out on a play-off place by five points last term – struck first when Isaiah Jones mopped up a square ball from Chuba Akpom (10), before Duncan Watmore saw an effort chalked off for offside.

The Baggies emerged from their shell after the break and, following a dominant spell, levelled when debutants Jed Wallace and John Swift combined for the latter to fire in the equaliser (51).

How promotion candidates cancelled one another out

As two promotion candidates who fell short of the top six last term, Middlesbrough and West Brom were keen to start on the front foot as they looked to set the record straight and get up and running with three points.

It was the Baggies who threatened first, with Boro stopper Zack Steffen – on loan from Manchester City – forced to back-pedal rapidly to push Wallace’s overhit cross onto the crossbar and behind.

But Boro soon made the dream start. Ryan Giles cut in off the left and threaded the ball through to Akpom, whose square ball fell perfectly for Jones to slam home when Watmore could not.

Watmore thought he had a second when he took one neat touch six yards out and finished cutely with a second, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag, before he sidefooted a Giles cross wide with the goal gaping.

West Brom worked their way back into the game quickly after the break and deservedly pulled level when Wallace rampaged down the right and pulled the ball back for Swift to finish.

Steffen made a series of important saves from Swift and Wallace as the game became an end-to-end affair, but there were few chances of note after that and the teams left with a point apiece.

What’s next?

Middlesbrough travel to Loftus Road to take on QPR at 3pm on Saturday August 6, while West Brom host Watford at The Hawthorns at 8pm on Monday August 8.