Lankshear Shines in Middlesbrough Debut with Winning Goal
Will Lankshear needed just one swing of his right boot to announce himself at Middlesbrough.
The £10m summer signing from Tottenham marked his debut with the only goal of the night as Boro edged past Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup first round, a single moment of clean technique deciding a tight, sometimes scrappy tie.
Lankshear settles Boro’s nerves
Middlesbrough had threatened to get the season up and running inside seven minutes. Sebastian Berhalter whipped in a low cross, Adilson Malanda darted to meet it and prodded goalwards from close range. Danny Ward stood firm, reacting brilliantly to claw the ball away with a sharp, instinctive save.
Wrexham answered with their own threat. Callum Doyle picked out Danny Imray with a teasing cross, only for the forward to miscue badly when well placed. The visitors kept probing and six minutes before the interval they carved out the best chance of the half. Nathan Broadhead rolled Sam Smith into space, Smith drilled low and hard, but Sol Brynn blocked with his legs to preserve parity.
The pattern barely had time to settle after the restart before Lankshear began to bend the game to his will. Early in the second half he pulled away into space and curled an effort just over the bar, a warning sign of the sharpness to come.
The pressure finally told on 61 minutes. Jeremy Sarmiento delivered from the flank, Leo Castledine rose to glance the ball into Lankshear’s path and the 21-year-old did the rest. One swivel, one clean, first-time volley, guided into the far corner with a composure that belied the occasion. One chance, one statement.
Middlesbrough almost put the tie to bed late on when Morgan Whittaker drove a low shot against the post with three minutes left, but Lankshear’s strike proved enough. A new season, a new forward, and already a decisive contribution.
Wolves cruise as Jimenez returns
At Molineux, Wolves made far lighter work of their assignment, brushing aside Port Vale 3-0 with all the damage done before half-time.
Cesar Peixoto’s first game in charge could hardly have unfolded more smoothly. Adam Armstrong struck, Andre added another, and Fer Lopez joined in to leave the League Two side chasing shadows for long spells of the opening period.
Port Vale still carved out moments. Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel somehow hooked an extraordinary chance away from the Wolves goal before the break when it seemed easier to score. Later, Mo Faal stepped up from the spot, only to see his low penalty smothered by the legs of Dan Bentley, denying the away end even a consolation.
The night, though, belonged to a familiar figure. Raul Jimenez, back at Wolves after three years at Fulham, emerged from the bench to a roar from the home support, the club’s Premier League top scorer welcomed like a returning captain. He unleashed one fierce effort on goal, but the script stopped short of a fairytale finish. No goal, no gloss on the scoreline, and no injustice to a Port Vale side that kept competing long after the contest was effectively over.
Wolves, professional and ruthless when it mattered, march on to the second round.
Magennis delivers late drama for Stevenage
If Molineux enjoyed a procession, Adams Park lived through a heist in stoppage time.
Stevenage, beginning their 50th anniversary season, snatched a 2-1 victory at Wycombe thanks to a last-gasp header from Josh Magennis, one of their summer recruits. Deep into the fifth minute of added time, Phoenix Patterson swung in a corner from the left and Magennis rose above a crowded box to thump his header home. One final set-piece, one brutal twist.
The visitors had already shown their resilience. Wycombe started strongly, but Stevenage struck first against the run of play on 27 minutes. Dan Kemp seized on hesitation at the back, surged through the middle and drilled a low finish past the keeper to stun the home crowd.
Wycombe’s response was sharp. Ten minutes later, Silko Thomas attacked from the left and picked out Ewan Henderson, who slipped between defenders and finished right-footed from just outside the six-yard box. Level again, and the home side suddenly looked in control.
Stevenage almost stole back the lead on the stroke of half-time when Kemp rattled the bar with a fierce effort from the edge of the box, a reminder that they were not content to sit in and suffer.
After the interval, Wycombe tightened their grip. They pushed Stevenage back, controlled territory, but kept running into a wall. The best opening fell to substitute Emre Tezgel, on for Cauley Woodrow, in the 77th minute. Thomas again provided from the left, Tezgel moved to force it home, but captain Carl Piergianni threw himself in the way and blocked what looked a certain goal.
That intervention set the stage for Magennis. While Wycombe searched for a winner, Stevenage waited for one more chance from dead-ball territory. When it came, they made it count.
On a night when debutants and returning heroes shaped the Carabao Cup’s opening act, it was Lankshear’s volley, Jimenez’s ovation and Magennis’ last touch that hinted at the stories still to come in this new season.
