Duncan Watmore on his Sheffield United goal, staying positive through difficult spell & Hull [Gazette]

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Watmore on Blades goal, staying upbeat through tough spell & Hull

Duncan Watmore returned to the side and helped Boro get back to winning ways with a goal against Sheffield United

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Duncan Watmore on his Sheffield United goal, staying positive through difficult spell & Hull​

By Craig Johns.

[Edited]

Duncan Watmore returned to the side and helped Boro get back to winning ways with a goal against Sheffield United

Duncan Watmore was relieved to make a goalscoring and winning return to the Middlesbrough team, but is immediately focused on backing it up with more of the same on Saturday.

Watmore scored and set the early tone for Boro as they beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Riverside on Tuesday evening.

It was an important win for the home side after an underwhelming start to the season, with some supporters begin to vent their frustrations.

It had been an equally disappointing start to the season for Watmore who hasn't played nearly as much football as would be expected having topped the club's goal scoring charts last term.


But having got off the mark for this season on his return to the side, and helping his side to an important win, Watmore could not hide his delight.

He told the club website after the game: “That was needed. We’ve had a couple of bad results but we know how quickly things can change in football.

“So we just had to stay positive and keep doing the right things.

“We’ve got a great group here - from the players, to the staff, to the manager and all the coaches.

“Nights like these in football are always great and the fans were amazing.

“It just goes to prove you have got to stay level in football because there are so many highs and so many lows.

“We keep grinding and keep working as a team and we did that tonight which was brilliant to be a part of.

“It’s been difficult for me personally but I know that that’s football.

“I’ve just kept my head down, kept grinding, continued to do the right things and stayed positive.

“That’s what I’ve done and whenever I am called upon I will always try and do the best I can possibly do for this team.”


The win was just Boro's third of the season and the importance now is that this one does not prove another false dawn.

Boro go to strugglers Hull City on Saturday, backed by a sold-out contingent of 3,500 travelling supporters.

And Watmore knows how important it is that the Sheffield United win proves a springboard for another three points before going into an international break.

“Definitely," he said when asked if attentions quickly turn to Hull. "It’s a long season and every game is hard in this league.

“We do need to back that up.

“We all know the key to climbing up the table and getting up to where we want to be is by putting in those kinds of performances week in and week out.

“So we need to back that up at Hull and the onus is on us to do that. We’ll make sure we recover right and go again Saturday.”

He will no doubt hope he can add another goal this weekend.

His first of the season came in quite some fashion on Tuesday as he finished wonderfully with his left foot to the top far corner just eight minutes into his recall to the side.

He top-scored with ten last term in what was his first season at the club, but having played all of it behind closed doors, the goal against the Blades was his first in front of Boro fans.

“It was nice," he said after. "A great ball by Boles after some nice play beforehand and when he rolled it into me it just set up nicely.

“I just thought after the touch onto my left to aim for that far corner and luckily it came off.

“It was a really nice feeling when that went in.

Middlesbrough's Duncan Watmore (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal (Image: PA)

“To finally score in front of the fans as well… that’s why we play football, for nights like that and the atmosphere.

“We’ve got to take that in and keep creating that atmosphere by putting in the performances on the pitch.

“We know they’ll always be behind us so we’re very lucky.”

More of the same at Hull City on Saturday would certainly do nicely.