Chuba Akpom on target again in emphatic Middlesbrough win

Middlesbrough were as ruthless as they were dominant, beating Preston North End 4-0 in a one-sided encounter.

The Smoggies played hosts on the day at their Riverside stadium, abandoning hospitality in a brutal thrashing of their visitors.

Cameron Archer was on fire on the day, and he was in perfect sync with Chuba Akpom as they combined for two goals.  

The first goal came in the 22nd minute of the day, with Archer setting up Akpom, who finished brilliantly for his 24th league goal of the season. 

Archer went from provider to scorer, finishing brilliantly after being set up by Ryan Giles. 

Archer and Akpom combined for a second time in the game for Boro's third; the Nigerian was the assister this time, putting Archer through on goal, who made no mistake with his finish. 

Giles grabbed his second assist in the game as Marcus Forss closed off scoring in the 95th minute of the game. 

The Super Eagles' eligible forward remains without a cap, and despite his incredible form this season, he was unnamed in Jose Peseiro's latest squad to navigate the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.

Akpom has scored an incredible 24 goals in 31 Championship games this season, standing on top of the scorers chat, with at least six goals more than the next best.