Middlesbrough coach Woodgate doesn’t want to face Swansea City’s Andre Ayew again

Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate says he doesn’t want to come up against the Swansea City trio of Andre Ayew, Rhian Brewster and Conor Gallagher again after they were instrumental in a 3-0 bashing of Boro at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

The game marked the return of Championship fixtures after a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brewster - who is on loan from Premier League leaders Liverpool, scored first with Ayew providing the assist. The youngster then registered his brace before Ayew made it 3-0 from the spot after Gallagher was brought down in the box by Boro captain George Friend.

“They've got some exceptional players in Rhian Brewster, Conor Gallagher and Andre Ayew. We just couldn't deal with them,” Woodgate was quoted as saying in Wales Online.

"It's hard to explain that type of performance. It's not nice to see. It was just the basics of the game at times. It wasn't good enough.

"We won't come up against a Brewster, an Ayew or a Conor Gallagher again. Them three up top, I thought they were absolutely outstanding."

Brewster has now scored six goals in 12 Championship outings since his arrival from Anfield in January and Ayew took to social media to congratulate the 20-year-old for his performance.

“Three points great start. One more goal. Congrats my Lil bro Rhian Brewster. Missed the Jack Army! Let’s keep going,” he posted on Twitter.

Ayew had a solid game at the Riverside, making 43 touches on the ball and 22 accurate passes (91.7%) which was the highest percentage of any player on the pitch. He also did well defensively, making four tackles and five clearances.

The Ghana captain remains the club’s top scorer in all competitions with 15 goals and six assists in 3216 minutes, averaging a goal every 214 minutes.

Saturday’s victory is Swansea’s biggest away from home in the Championship this season and their second biggest in the second-tier after seeing off Birmingham City 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium on August 25, 2019.

The South Wales outfit are just a point away from the promotion-playoff places and will next host title-chasers Leeds United, whom they saw off 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Elland Road.