West Brom had already lost to Middlesbrough before kick-off after Ryan Mason’s selection error

West Brom had already lost to Middlesbrough before kick-off after Ryan Mason’s selection error

West Brom lost at Middlesbrough on Friday evening, and the Baggies boss got it wrong with his starting XI.

Middlesbrough beat West Brom 2-1 on Friday evening to continue their unbeaten run to the start of the season under Rob Edwards.

David Strelec scored on his first Boro start, but Middlesbrough fans were confused by his substitution at half-time by Edwards for Kaly Sene.

Ironically, Sene doubled Middlesbrough’s lead in the second-half before West Brom striker Aune Heggebo scored what proved to be a consolation goal in the final exchanges.

West Brom’s winless run at Middlesbrough continued, and part of the blame falls on Ryan Mason for his selection against the table-toppers.

Ryan Mason’s decision to drop Mikey Johnston was costly

Middlesbrough made it four wins in a row against West Brom, courtesy of goals from Strelec and Sene, but Edwards was given a big boost by his opposite number, Mason, before kick-off.

Despite enjoying an impressive start to the season, with a goal and an assist in his four Championship outings before Boro, Mason dropped Johnston to the bench at the Riverside.

Mason opted for a more defensive set-up to combat the extra bodies in the centre from Middlesbrough, but the absence of Johnston’s creative spark was glaring.

With the Baggies failing to carve out any chances, Mason introduced Johnston for Jed Wallace with half an hour to play, and his impact was telling.

Johnston was one of West Brom’s best performers at Boro despite making a cameo off the bench, after whipping a wonderfully weighted ball into the danger area of Middlesbrough’s box for Heggebo to dispatch.

Mason was left with egg on his face for dropping Johnston to the bench and his impactful cameo after his introduction, and the novice Baggies boss must learn the error of his ways going forward and ensure the Ireland international’s name is one of the first on his team sheet.

Mikey Johnston’s stats for West Brom in Middlesbrough cameo

As all West Brom fans will attest to, the former Celtic winger’s flair in the final third can be the decisive factor in tightly contested clashes.

That creative sparkle saw Flamengo interested in signing Johnston earlier in the summer, and when the winger is on form, his talent would not be out of place on the Brazilian beaches.

At Middlesbrough, Johnson proved with his assist for Heggebo that he held the key to unlocking Boro’s resolute back-five.

With George Edmundson withdrawn for Sammy Silvera minutes before half-time, Mason should have introduced Johnston at the interval to have more time to disrupt Middlesbrough’s make-shift defence, and the Baggies could have gone home with a point if he had done so.

Although with Luke Ayling shining for Middlesbrough against West Brom, Johnston would have had to be at his brilliant best.