Middlesbrough's win over Reading could prove to be a pivotal afternoon in the narrative of the Championship season.

A 2-0 victory hardly did Neil Warnock's side justice as Ashley Fletcher and Marc Bola got the goals that saw them overcome the promotion candidates.

It's hard to pick out a top performer in such a top team display, but how did we rate the Teessiders?

Let's take a look.

Marcus Bettinelli —8
Didn't have many saves to make but a clean sheet will have done him the world of good.

Darnell Fisher-8
Looked like he was set for a tough afternoon early on but adapted well. Looked solid and assured.

Anfernee Dijksteel —8
A solid display on the right side of Middlesbrough's central defenders. Tucked in well and allowed Reading little chance to thrive in attack.

Dael Fry-9.
A powerful and dominant display. Didn't allow Lucas Joao a sniff - something that shouldn't be underestimated against one of the best strikers in the league. Middlesbrough have certainly missed him and will be pleased to see him doing well.

Paddy McNair —9
A really good performance. Solid defensively and was very much on point with his delivery from set pieces which led to several chances including the opening goal.

Marc Bola —8
An excellent display. Typically solid in defence and even provided an attacking outlet on the left. Got on the scoresheet with a fierce left-footed effort that nearly broke the net.

Sam Morsy —9
A brilliant performance. Morsy has endured a mixed few weeks but looked very much back to his best at the Madejski as he pressed and forced the issue in midfield. Defended well and provided a powerful presence breaking from midfield.

Jonny Howson —8
Had a shaky start but did very well as the game progressed. We've come to expect good performances from Jonny Howson but he certainly deserves credit today.

Neeskens Kebano —8
A really good performance in midfield. Worked tirelessly and seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. Not only that but he added real quality on the ball and was often the instigator of Middlesbrough's counter attacks.

Duncan Watmore—8
Battered and bruised in the first half, Watmore had an excellent game. The forward worked tireless and barely stopped running as he gave Reading's defence little time on the ball. Replaced in the second half but played a big role.

Ashley Fletcher—8
Still building up his sharpness but showed why he's Middlesbrough's most dangerous attacker. Always in the right position and even grabbed a goal to make it two from two since his return.

Substitutes

Marvin Johnson—7
Worked very hard to put Reading under pressure. Closed down and looked to provide an outlet for Middlesbrough to work on the counter. Almost teed up Ashley Fletcher for a late goal.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing—N/A
Came on late and did well with a volley that went wide of the mark.

George Saville—N/A
Worked hard and ensured that Middlesbrough saw out the match to get three points.

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