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Aitor Karanka praises Middlesbrough goal hero Patrick Bamford

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Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka was pleased with his side's 4-1 win against promotion challengers Ipswich, and highlights the success of their short-co

Aitor Karanka hailed his two-goal star striker Patrick Bamford after Middlesbrough romped to a 4-1 victory at home to Ipswich.

Bamford scored two outstanding second-half goals to ease the Teessiders to victory at the Riverside Stadium after a nervy opening half-hour.

Boro gained an early lead through Daniel Ayala before Sky Bet Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy drew the Tractor Boys level.

But Albert Adomah nudged Boro back into the lead before Bamford's brilliant brace.

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Middlesbrough loanee striker Patrick Bamford scored twice in his side's 4-1 win against Ipswich and believes they can push on to secure promotion.

"Patrick deserves those goals for his work rate and he showed great confidence in the way he took both of them," said Karanka.

"It was massive to win, we needed a performance today and I thought we were brilliant against a good, strong team.

"We've played against a very strong team who finished the game with four strikers and the main thing is that we're eight points ahead of them in seventh.

"To be eight points ahead of them is a good situation for us."

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Middlesbrough were victorious in an action-packed game at the top of the Championship table.

Boro's first two goals came from set plays, and the Spaniard added: "We've been working on our set-pieces this week and it was brilliant how the first two goals came from them.

"We've put the points on the board in the early kick-off and that was important.

"Some of our performances of late have not been the best but today we did very well. Maybe some people expected us to be bad but we gave the perfect answer."

The scoreline arguably flattered Boro, who have won and lost three out of their last six games but went back to the top of the table before other fixtures on Saturday afternoon.

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Ipswich looked bright in the first half and hit the post with the score at 1-1.

Town boss Mick McCarthy said: "We worked on defending corners and conceded two goals from them.

"We were great in the first half and second half we were undone by a really good goal by Patrick Bamford, it's great play by him.

"I'll take responsibility after 3-1. I threw strikers on, we were all over the place and a bit of a shambles at the end. We're organised at corners normally and shouldn't concede.

"It looked a bit shambolic at the end as we pushed forward and I'll take responsibility for that.

"Automatic promotion is looking hard now, we're not going to win three more games than two or three teams between now and the end of the season."

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Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy was disappointed with his side's poor defending that saw them lose 4-1 against Middlesbrough in a vital top of the table

New dad Dean Gerken was taken to hospital for scans after the Ipswich goalkeeper suffered a head injury.

The 29-year-old suffered concussion after colliding with Ayala as Boro took the lead at the Riverside Stadium and had to be carried from the pitch on a stretcher.

Town boss Mick McCarthy said after the game: "It's never nice seeing one of your players being carried off like that.

"Dean's gone for a scan at the hospital and I'd love to give good news to his wife because she had a baby yesterday.

"I assume it would be extremely distressing for her seeing him stretchered off with an oxygen mask, as it was for all of us."

The club's official Twitter account confirmed he had suffered concussion but added that he was "on the mend".

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