Boro survive Exeter scare to make EFL Cup quarter-finals

Champion side Middlesbrough reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after an awesome win at League One Exeter.

Morgan Rogers’ curling effort drew Boro level after the break and Samuel Silvera fired them ahead quickly after.

Trevitt scored another long-range objective to bring Exeter level before handing out a late charge that Emmanuel Latte Lath transformed to put Boro through.

The win ended Exeter’s hopes of a very first EFL Cup quarter-final look as they bailed out in the last 16 for the 5th time in the club’s history.

• Relive Tuesday’s Carabao Cup action as it occurred

Boro made 7 modifications from the side that lost to Stoke City at the weekend and they controlled the ownership from the off with Exeter getting bodies behind the ball as they carried out in the last round when they beat Premier League side Luton Town.

Unlike the last round Exeter fans did not have to wait till the last minutes to commemorate an objective as on-loan Brentford midfielder Trevitt fired in off the underside of the bar after great work down the right by Kyle Taylor.

Rogers, Dael Fry, Silvera and Anfernee Dijksteel all rejected half-decent possibilities in the following 15 minutes as Boro continued to keep hold of the ball.

Silvera required the very first good save from Exeter keeper Vil Sinisalo in first-half interruption time however Boro were left disappointed at the break.

The visitors came out for the 2nd half with a new-found motivation and it took simply a couple of minutes for them to level the tie as Alex Bangura dispossessed Jack Fitzwater in the box – leaving the City protector down hurt – and Silvera fantastically curled home.

The objective provided Boro an assaulting structure, requiring Exeter much deeper and much deeper as the League One side frantically combated to keep ball games level.

They fell behind when Silvera got previous Vince Harper on the left and curled a low right-footed effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Silvera saw another effort fly simply over 3 minutes later on in the past Trevitt’s equaliser from simply outside package discovered the leading corner after great by Harry Kite.

The 20-year-old’s night took a turn for the even worse when he pulled on Rogers’ t-shirt as Exeter attempted to clear the ball from the charge location and Latte Lath sent out Sinisalo the incorrect method to put Boro into the last 8.

Exeter City supervisor Gary Caldwell informed BBC Sport:

“It was a dazzling efficiency, loads of effort, loads of endeavour.

“We got asked some major concerns as a football group tonight versus what I believe is a top, a prospective Premier League side next season, and it wasn’t for the desire of attempting that we headed out of the cup.

“So all credit to the gamers, they provided definitely whatever, I believe we got beaten by the much better group tonight and you in some cases need to hold your hands approximately that, and best of luck to Middlesbrough in the next round.”

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick informed BBC Radio Tees:

“We had a great deal of the ball when they were fresh very first half and they closed the areas, and in some cases it can take a little time to break them down.

“Credit to them, they safeguarded remarkably well and we were most likely a bit safe in our play and possibly not aggressive enough in our assaulting play, however there were a couple of modifications so it’s reasonable.

“I believed 2nd half the areas would open and they did and we capitalised on it, and after that they score another breaking objective.

“But you’ve got to deal with that often in these kind of video games and I felt we conquered it exceptionally well and everybody played their part.”